A Guide For Athletes: Five Ways To Quickly Relieve Soreness In Muscles

I think you will all agree when we say: Sore muscles are the WORST.

Well, it turns out, you can dramatically decrease the soreness you feel as an athlete, with a few simple methods.

In fact, some of these methods have been proven to decrease soreness by up to 25%!

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TIP #1: Do an active cooldown after your workout!

It has been proven that cooldowns can help reduce muscle soreness after your workouts!

Key cooldowns include:

• Light jogging/walking after your workout.

• Upper body stretching

• Lunging calf stretch

• Child’s pose

• Core abdominal stretch

TIP #2: Foam Rolling

According to (Shiffer, 2020) Foam rolling is a “self-myofascial release (SMR) technique”. A foam roller is usually a cylindrical tube that is lightweight and can be used to help relieve muscle tension, soreness and increase the joint range of motion.

Foam rollers come in different forms that are made to suit the variety of consumer needs. Formats include:

• Smooth rollers

• Textured rollers

• Foam colored massage sticks

• Foam massage balls

Image taken from: https://sporttracks.mobi/blog/how-to-use-a-foam-roller-for-endurance-sports

TIP #3: Use a Massage Gun

Massage guns are highly effective at reducing (DOMS) delayed onset muscle soreness if used 24-72 hours post exercise. According to (Moore, 2020) a massage gun helps individuals recover by “lushing extracellular fluids such as lymph fluid and venous blood out of the muscle tissue and into the circulatory system.”

Benefits to using a massage gun include:

• Relieves stress and relaxes the body.

• Easy to use & automatic, requiring no effort.

• Increases circulation

TIP #4: Get A Massage

Treat yourself to a spa day! There are many spas that offer massages tailored to athletes & provide deep-tissue muscle relaxation.

Think of it, this could be you:

Image taken from: https://elemental.medium.com/the-science-backed-benefits-of-massage-6d1a198c67a5

TIP #5: Use a Heat Pad and/or Ice Pack

An oldie, but a goodie! Relieve any soreness post-workout with the help of a heat pad or ice pack.

It has been proven that using a hot-pad for 7 minutes & then switching to a cold-pad for 7 minutes is an effective way at reducing muscle soreness following activity.

Image taken from: https://www.pourquoidocteur.fr/index.php?op=ArticleFront&action=showArticle&id=36338&PageSpeed=noscript

So what do you think? Which muscle soreness solution will you be using after your next workout?

Leave a comment down below, to let us know your experiences with muscle soreness & if you have a tip that we didn’t cover here!

References:

Calvert, H. (2021, November 07). Foam roller vs massage gun: Which is best to rid soreness and aid muscle recovery? Retrieved November 19, 2021, from https://www.t3.com/us/features/foam-roller-vs-massage-gun

Heid, M. (2019, June 06). The Science-Backed Benefits of Massage. Retrieved November 19, 2021, from https://elemental.medium.com/the-science-backed-benefits-of-massage-6d1a198c67a5

Moore, P. (2020, April 22). Can a massage gun fill in for your therapist? Here's what you need to know. Retrieved November 19, 2021, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/wellness/can-a-massage-gun-fill-in-for-your-therapist-heres-what-you-need-to-know/2020/04/22/7b634b0c-8350-11ea-878a-86477a724bdb_story.html