You've just embarked on a strenuous exercise program and your muscles feel like hot lead when you move them. Although muscle soreness is normal after starting a new fitness program, you still need relief. Of course you could take the conventional route and pop Advil or aspirin for three or four days, but what if Advil irritates your stomach and you want to go the natural route? Here's how to treat muscle pain after exercise naturally:
Bring Out The Cherry Juice
When you exercise vigorously, your muscles suffer small tears which set an up an inflammatory reaction resulting in pain and muscle soreness. Tart cherries are super rich in antioxidants and anthocyanins which help to offset some of the anti-inflammatory changes and soothe the pain of inflamed muscles. Tart cherry juice will have its greatest effect when you drink it immediately after a tough workout. You may be able to prevent some of the muscle soreness using this approach. Be sure to choose tart cherry juice as opposed to sweet cherry juice since tart cherries are much higher in anthocyanins. Tart cherry juice can be found at most natural food stores and markets. Consider keeping a few bottles in your refrigerator for those extra strenuous workouts.
Get Out The Ice Pack
Ice applied directly to sore muscles can provide immediate relief for sore, achy muscles. One handy way to apply ice to a muscle is to hold a frozen bag of vegetables on the affected muscles for five minutes. Any longer, and you run the risk of frost bite. Keep a few large bags of vegetables in your freezer so you'll be prepared the next time you overdo it at the exercise club.
Keep Moving Affected Muscles
Contrary to what you may think, a sore, painful muscle needs movement. By moving the injured muscle, you increase blood flow to the area which helps to reduce inflammation, leading to faster healing. Be careful not to overdo the movement. Choose a less challenging form of exercise for a few days until the sore muscles have completely healed. Once healing is complete, you can gradually work your way back up to your previous level of exercise.
Sip Ginger Tea
Ginger has known anti-inflammatory properties and is one of nature's little secrets for healing. After you've had a tough workout, drink a cup of ginger tea every few hours throughout the day to help prevent some of the soreness associated with muscle overuse.
As you can see, there are all-natural alternatives to the use of aspirin or Advil for the relief of muscle pain after exercise. Give some of these natural remedies a try and you'll be pain free before you know it.
