How to relieve muscle pain after exercise

Currently, a huge number of people are watching their figure and the state of the body as a whole: someone goes to the pool, someone goes to the gym or a fitness center, and someone goes in for playing sports. And in any case, a well-conducted training is usually accompanied by the appearance of muscular pain of a different nature. So, should be divided:

• Unpleasant pulling sensations, holding down movements and appearing after the first workout;
• Sense of downtroddenness and local fatigue.

Muscle growth, as is well known, is impossible without their partial destruction: when a person experiences a certain load, they are in constant tension, and the old, unstable connections (fibers) are literally torn. The lactic acid entering the site of destruction in this case plays the role of an antioxidant: in fact, being the result of the action of various metabolic processes in the body,it speeds up the process of recovery, tissue regeneration, but it also gives a feeling of strength and overall cramming; It is due to a well-established process of receipt of building material and acid and its output that the volume of muscles grows.

It is necessary to distinguish the above-mentioned sensations for the following reason: a newcomer in the playing and gymnasium or pool exercise is given, obviously, with a little more difficulty than a regular person. The muscles of the latter are accustomed to loads of this kind, therefore, in the body, firstly, the process of developing a certain amount of lactic acid and its timely withdrawal is adjusted, which, in turn, quickly gives strength, and secondly, the muscles are not completely depleted.

That is why all newcomers should always first engage in the gym with small weights, swim about half the maximum and spend less time on the playing field. Already after the muscles are adapted to the regular load, you can increase the weight.

But muscle pain will still appear quite often, and this is a normal phenomenon.It is important to know exactly how you can remove it after a workout. There are several ways, each of which needs to be focused:

• Adoption of water treatments;
• Bathing visit;
• Massage;
• Stretching;
• Use of ointments, creams and other means.

Each method of relieving muscle pain has its advantages, and the choice of one or another method is strictly individual.

Adoption of water treatments

One of the most common methods among a huge number of athletes - bodybuilders, football players, basketball players, biathletes - the adoption of water procedures. However, in this area there has been a dispute for about 15 years: what kind of water temperature should be - high or low.

The latest trends in world sports, however, unequivocally indicate that most athletes resort to cold showers or cryovannas to recover.

By the way, cold water, according to the chief physiotherapist of the Wales national football team, reduces muscle pain by forcibly speeding up blood circulation: the body, getting into a cold environment, is forced to produce more heat,in order to maintain the temperature necessary for its normal functioning at 36.6 degrees, therefore all processes are instantly activated.

In particular, this contributes to the flow of all necessary substances to the affected muscles and their groups.

At the same time, a personal trainer of basketball player LeBron James in one of the interviews admitted that he forces his ward to take a contrast shower, which, together with the cold one, contributes much more to the activation of all the mechanisms of recovery of the body.

If, for any reason, there is no shower in the gym or it is impossible to attend, then you can take this bath at home: you just need to pour water into the bath of medium temperature, where then put a few bags of ice, and then begin to gently sink into the water. The optimal time for taking a contrast shower is 8-10 minutes, a cold bath is 5 minutes.

Russian and Roman baths

This method is only suitable for people who have a Russian (or Roman) bathhouse located directly in the building of the gym or playground.Obviously, the effect will have only a visit to such a bath, in which the room is either very high temperatures, or a sufficient balance of temperature and humidity.

The Russian bath, as is known, must be combined with the further intake of a cold shower or bath for a short period of time. Actually, all the benefits of the action of contrasting temperatures have already been described above. However, most amateur athletes undeservedly bypass the Roman bath party, although it is not the worst means of recovery.

The fact is that the Roman bath, although it has lower (compared to the Russian) temperature values, benefits from the humidity parameter. Its combination with a temperature of 40-50 degrees makes it impossible to stay for more than 5-7 minutes inside the bathhouse: so the body becomes hot and unbearable.

After visiting the Roman bath, it is advisable again to take a cold shower (or pour a few tubs of cold water on yourself).

Massage

The general warming up of the muscles, the leaching of the areas surrounding the damaged muscles and the competent impact on certain parts of the human body favorably affect the flow of blood to the previously loaded muscles and affected fibers.With most professional massage therapists, it is recommended to use various essential oils that have a warming and soothing effect (especially highlight olive oil).

Tip: Obviously, the removal of discomfort and relief of muscle pain depends on the qualifications of the masseur, therefore, the choice of a specialist should be approached very responsibly so as not to further damage the affected muscles.

Stretching

After a hard cardio and strength training, pain in the muscles also appears in an experienced athlete who is familiar with even some nuances of the technique of performing all the exercises and conducting a high-quality workout. A universal way to get rid of downtroddenness and muscle fatigue is an independent stretching session.

After the loads on the muscles of the chest, back, legs and arms, many stretching and pulling movements will be difficult, and this is quite natural, because after the load of forces they are waiting for only one thing: rest.

Advice: it is important to choose the right post-training program; It should not, in principle, strain the muscles, its only purpose is to give the much-needed relaxation, because after it a contrast shower should be taken immediately.

After 10–15 minutes of smoothly performing the stretching exercises, the pain will begin to recede.

Use of ointments, creams and other similar means.

This option is also universal, but it may require a certain amount of money to be spent: all medical ointments sold in pharmacies and hardware stores are not universal due to certain features of the elements of its composition. That is why it is important to ensure that the composition contains such substances as:

• Lavender juice;
• Citrus particles;
• Herbs (mint, currant, bergamot leaves).

These elements are in principle the strongest antioxidants, because the presence of at least one of them in the composition of ointments or creams is mandatory.

Preventive measures

In order for muscle pains to be disturbed in the future to a lesser extent, certain preventive measures must be observed. They can, if not completely prevent the appearance of pain in the muscles, but certainly protect against serious sprains and tears.

Proper nutrition is the basis of muscle development and an increase in their total volume.Opinions nutritionists regarding the amount of protein taken per day vary, but the optimal for recovery is the reception of 2.5-3 grams of protein (if you are gaining muscle mass - 4.5) per 1 kg of body weight. And, importantly, the amount of protein should be constant (that is, the same in the morning and in the evening). Without energy, the body will also not be able to restore muscle tone in time, therefore it is necessary to keep track of the carbohydrate intake in the body (4-7 g / kg per day, the exact number depends on the goal of the exercises - weight loss or weight gain).

The amount of water taken per day is of tremendous importance for the removal of toxins, harmful substances and lactic acid from the body. It is easy to calculate by the formula:

• Body weight in kilograms * 0.04 = The amount of water in liters that you need to drink per day.

The general movement has a positive effect on muscle recovery: if after a hard workout the next 24 hours a person is inactive and practically does not move (riding in a private car, work that takes a long time to sit in a sitting position), then he will feel worse than that walked around the city on foot and at least a little knead, thus muscles.

Rest from training is necessary - this is the basis of building muscles, giving them shape, because you should sleep at least 7.5 hours a day. There are quite a lot of cases when young people, who decided to “pump up” as quickly as possible, overloaded their bodies with workouts, which resulted in poor health, constant drowsiness and general malaise. It is recommended after every 3 months of training in the gym or swimming pool to do a week break:

1. This will have a beneficial effect on the muscles also in terms of their growth: they are unstuck from the constant load for a week, and the new cycle of classes will give them a big impetus to development.
2. All lactic acid accumulated in the body will be removed in a fairly short time due to the lack of a regular load.

It is important to distinguish articular and muscular pain: if the above methods for relieving unpleasant sensations did not have an effect in a week, then it is imperative to contact a specialist who will determine the nature of their manifestation. If time does not prevent the development of joint injuries, it can result in improper growth of muscles and the appearance of chronic overstrain.

It is recommended to recover after workouts and relieve muscle pain with an integrated approach using alternating methods. So, one day you can take a contrast shower, another - visit the massage parlor, and the third use essential oils or a variety of ointments. An integrated approach is good because all methods in their own way affect the body, positively affecting the course of various processes.

Video: how to get rid of muscle pain after exercise