Working out is great because it makes you feel good. The benefits of a daily workout schedule can have a positive effect on your mental state. When you work out, your body releases endorphins which are a form of natural pain killers produced by your body. The benefits absolutely outweigh the negatives, and yes, there are some negatives. Most of the complains I hear about are associated with soreness or reduced energy after working out. This causes people not keep their workout schedule because they can’t recover in time. The soreness remains longer than they anticipated, and this, as mentioned, throws their schedule completely off. I know the feeling first hand because it’s something which happened to me many times. After coming home, I would feel drained not wanting to continue my schedule. But, a personal trainer did provide some useful tips on how I can reduce this from happening.
I want to share them with you today so you can incorporate them into your lifestyle.
Careful with Form
If you have been in the gym before and had the chance to talk to someone experienced, they’ll tell you that form is very important. Exercise while paying attention to form will reduce the likelihood of injuries and soreness. The less soreness, the more you’ll be ready to hit the gym the next day. The importance of form while exercising can be read online.
When reading through the resource above, you’ll also learn proper form will help you target the right muscle.
Stretch
It’s widely known stretching is the first line of defense to prevent soreness after working out. During an intense workout, you are contracting and lengthening your muscles. After, through a nutritious diet, you’ll be repairing them to become stronger and more toned. By stretching for 5-10 minutes before a workout, you are causing your muscles to become looser helping with the contraction process.
Nutrition
Much of the soreness occurs when there is a delay in the muscle repairing itself. You want to make sure you get enough healthy proteins, carbohydrates, and fats because they all play an important role in muscle repairing. With a balanced diet, high in protein especially when working out, it’s important you get 7-8 hours of sleep daily. While sleeping, your body is in high acceleration repair muscles, and other important functions.
Massage Therapy
In a recent study, it was determined a certain type of massage can help with muscle soreness. This type of sports massage is called Cytokines which targets the connectivity of the tissue covering the muscle. It’s performed by a licensed massage therapist who uses different techniques to hit specific areas prone to soreness. Many of the top athletes who are on a vigorous schedule will visit sports clinics for therapy.
The good news is due to the popularity of health and fitness, you have more sports massage clinics opening. This has made them more affordable which is why more people are beginning to understand how regular visits help reduce soreness. A sports remedial massage on a regular basis can increase endurance, fluid movement, and recovery time.
Pain Killers
If all else fails, then you can always take a pain killer to help with soreness. Make sure you take these as prescribed.
If you decide to proceed with this approach, then take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen which can relieve pain. However, it’s very easy to get hooked on these especially if soreness becomes common after working out. I would recommend you use this as your last approach.
Final Thoughts
The positives of working out outweigh the negatives, according to Massaggi. The only other negatives I can think of associated with a fixed workout schedule is the inability to find time, or purchase food to change to a more nutritious approach. The next time your sore after working out, try some of the methods above which I’m sure will help.