5 tips to relieve aches after sport

By definition, the pain called "ache" is stiffness that occurs in the body, especially in the muscles, after physical activity. Having a late effect, they can appear when you exercise for the first time or when you increase the intensity of your usual training sessions. Although nothing serious, it is a considerably annoying pain, especially when you start exercising.

This discomfort usually disappears after 24 or 48 hours. And contrary to popular belief, giving up exercise is not the best solution to stop feeling this pain. There are many tips for reducing aches after training and without the need for relaxing or anti-inflammatory drugs. In this article, find out what these fairly simple home remedies are to relieve muscle aches.

1/ Drink lots of water

This is one of the best tips to prevent aches: Water is necessary to maintain our general physical capacities in an optimal way . Maintaining constant hydration brings us many benefits, especially when we take into account the importance it has during training. During a water deficiency, the muscles can lose their strength and no longer function properly, in addition to reduced energy. If you don't drink enough water, you are more likely to suffer from cramps, exhaustion and of course muscle aches. Therefore, we advise you to start by drinking more water gradually and each day, until you reach the 2 liters recommended daily. This will allow all your joints, bones and muscles to work properly and not feel too atrophied from exercise.

2/ Rest and sleep

Of course, when you train, you need to know how crucial it is for your body to be able to get adequate rest . Regardless of whether it's before or after your workouts, having a healthy rest routine is what will get your body in shape to recover. Which translates into the ability to perform at your best in training and the subsequent soreness will lessen exponentially.

Before leaving the gym to go home after exercise, take 15 to 20 minutes to stretch and relax the muscles . If you exercise at home and immediately go to sleep after your workout, we also recommend taking time to stretch after your workout (wait until you're cold, don't stretch straight after your workout). This will facilitate the recovery of your joints and muscles, which will reduce the risk of injury or muscle pain after sports.

3/ Active recovery

Unlike a passive recovery which involves not making an effort to relax the body. Active recovery promotes the performance of low-intensity cardiovascular exercises to stimulate blood flow to the muscles, relieving pain from your body aches . This is a great option if you consider that after exercising or increasing the weight and intensity of routines you are prone to muscle cramps or pain. Among the most popular exercises to start active recovery, we have yoga sessions , which are wonderful for relaxing tendons and muscles while calming your mind. Low-intensity cardiovascular routines are also part of active recovery exercises, include activities like walking, swimming, or bicycling. Never forget to stretch and warm up your muscles properly before each sports session.

4/ Use heat or cold

By using compresses in hot or cold temperatures , you can reduce and relieve your pain from muscle aches. The use of compresses is a very common way for people who work out, because depending on the pain you feel, it can improve the discomforts. But, at this point, an important question may arise, what is the appropriate temperature for a compress in case of muscle pain? The answer is that both temperatures are consistent with the function of relieving tension from sore muscles. So here, a very important factor is to determine what is the level of pain that affects the muscles. If you are going through muscle soreness after training, it is ideal to apply cold compresses , as this temperature will allow the muscles to deflate. On the other hand, if it is severe pain due to a more serious injury or chronic conditions, it is best to use warm or hot compresses .

5/ Stretching and gentle massages

As mentioned earlier, stretching after training (ideally 4-5 hours after the session or the next day) causes the muscles to relax. This allows them to become more flexible and relieved , which is necessary, especially, if you are doing high intensity exercises. But, also, doing stimulating massages with oils or creams on the painful areas will help you relieve tension in the muscles and joints.

Is it possible to train with pain and discomfort?

Keep in mind that, in most cases, exercise is a remedy for relieving aches . But we have to establish what level of pain we are dealing with. Because if it only concerns a soreness, it is not a problem to continue training, but with low intensity training . However, if you suddenly notice that the pain is unbearable or chronic, it's time to rest .

Muscle soreness is a sign of muscle damage , so don't overexert yourself or do too harsh or demanding exercise routines.