How To Properly Handle Muscle Pain After Working Out

If you spend a lot of time in the gym, then you are probably all too familiar with muscle pain after working out. Muscle pain can be extremely debilitating. If you don’t treat it properly, then it can get worse and prevent you from being able to go back to the gym for a while.

Thankfully, there are lots of treatments available for post-workout muscle pain. In this article, we will present a list of them to you so that you can recover as quickly as possible and get active in no time:

CBD

CBD is one of the Cannabis plant’s primary components, along with THC. Unlike THC, however, CBD is non-psychoactive. This means that it does not produce a high.

Concentrated CBD has been used as a herbal remedy for many years and has numerous benefits associated with it, including pain relief. You can use CBD to fight post-workout muscle pain and inflammation.

Some CBD products have been compared in efficacy to codeine, a pharmaceutical analgesic that is converted into morphine by the human body. If you are going to take CBD to treat your post-workout pain, then start off slowly. There are many ways for you to consume CBD, including gummies, vapes, and oils.

Stretching

Stretching is something you should always do before and after a workout. More often than not, post-workout muscle pain is caused by either improper technique or a lack of stretching.

There are many stretches that you can do. Most fitness experts recommend stretching the parts of your body that you will be working out. With that said, it’s always advisable to stretch your entire body.

Unless you are a fitness expert yourself, you will be unable to tell which muscle groups you will be using. If you don’t know where to start with stretching, there are plenty of self-help guides and videos available online for you to check out.

Massage

If you have a partner, then you could ask them to give you a massage after you work out. Alternatively, you could go to a private masseuse. Most people wrongly believe that masseuses charge a lot of money.

This is rarely the case. Masseuses are usually very affordable. If you go to a large gym, then they may have their own in-house masseuses included as part of your membership package.

You could also ask your training partners if they would be willing to give you a post-workout massage also.

Rest

Another guaranteed way to ease your muscle pain is rest. A lot of people suffer from muscle pain post-workout because they don’t give themselves time to rest. After a workout, if your body isn’t allowed to rest, then it will be tense, tight, and inflamed.

You need to lie down and take it easy for your body’s sake. The longer you rest, the more your body will heal and recover. This will not only ease inflammation and pain but will also strengthen your muscles and help them to grow. Rest is a fundamental part of the workout process.

Ice

While you’re resting, fitness experts recommend putting ice on your sore muscles. Ice can help to ease inflammation. In addition to easing inflammation, ice can numb the pain and reduce swelling.

This is because ice constricts blood vessels and decreases circulation to the area. You need to make sure that you do not put too much ice on your muscles for too long, however. You also need to make sure that you put a protective tissue or towel in between you and the ice pack so that you do not end up with ice burn.

Showering

After a long workout, often the best way to combat inflammation is to jump in the bath or the shower. You do need to let your body warm down first, however.

If you immerse yourself in hot water too quickly, you could make yourself unwell or overheat. Lots of gyms have saunas, which their members can use.

If you have a sauna in your local gym, then after you have warmed down and rested for a little bit, jump into the sauna. The heat increases blood flow to your muscles. This can help to reduce pain, swelling, and build your muscles.

OTC Drugs

If you don’t want to use natural, herbal remedies like CBD, then you can always use OTC drugs to reduce your inflammation. The only downside to these pills is that they can be very bad for you.

Some [like ibuprofen] can be very bad for your stomach. If you have any stomach problems or bowel conditions, then most healthcare professionals recommend against using ibuprofen for long periods of time.

Continued use of ibuprofen can result in stomach ulcers. If you have any stomach conditions, it’s probably better for you to use CBD products instead.

OTC Creams

In addition to OTC medication, you can also use OTC creams and balms. Some of these can actually be very effective. One of the most effective is Tiger Balm, although it does not provide relief for very long.

If you are going to use OTC creams, then make sure that you do your research beforehand to ensure that you are not allergic to any of the ingredients contained in them. You can find some entirely natural, organic OTC creams, which are a great option if you are concerned about applying chemical formulas to your skin.

Patience

When you first start working out, you are going to experience some muscle pain, but you need to be patient with it. However, as you get stronger and more accustomed to your workouts, muscle pain will gradually reduce in severity and frequency.

Lots of people give up on exercise because of muscle pain. This is foolish because muscle pain is an indication that your body is getting stronger.

You should still treat your muscle pain in order to reduce its severity, but you shouldn’t quit because of it. Muscle pain generally lasts a few days, then it goes. Muscle pain can also be an indication that you are not keeping proper form when you are exercising.

If you have been experiencing muscle pain after you work out, then follow this article’s guidance. Muscle pain isn’t difficult to treat, and it rarely lasts very long. Have patience, persevere, and treat your pain when necessary.