You’ve probably experienced it before: you’ve started exercising again and you wake up the next morning with terrible muscle pain. You can barely walk or lift your arms, and that is of course not convenient because life goes on as usual. Fortunately, there are several things you can do to prevent this annoying pain!
Eat good!
Eating is extremely important when you exercise. Getting the right nutrients helps you achieve your goals and provides your body with energy. After a workout, your body needs to repair its muscles. For this you need proteins, fats and carbohydrates. Therefore, make sure that your meals consist of these indispensable elements. Don’t forget to drink enough water! In addition to nutrition, hydration is very important for muscle recovery. Therefore, fill your water bottle before you exercise and try to drink enough in between. If you have trouble with this, you can build a routine by taking a drink of water after each exercise, or by only leaving the gym when your bottle is empty.
Warming up and cooling down
A good warm-up is essential before exercising. Take ten to fifteen minutes to do some good stretching exercises and then go for a short walk (on the treadmill) before you start the heavier work. Your muscles should feel warm, especially if you exercise outside in cold weather. This not only prevents injuries, but also helps your body with muscle recovery. When you’re done with your workout, you can repeat the same process in reverse. Especially if you have a high heart rate from your workout, it is good to give your body some time to cool down. This will bring your heart rate back to a normal level and you will start breathing calmly again.
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Massage against muscle pain
If you have access to a masseur, whether it is a professional or your partner, for example, be sure to take advantage of this! This way your muscles can relax and they will be less sore the next morning. In addition, it also just feels great after a tough workout. If you don’t have a person on hand to massage you, you can also use a foam roller to help relax your muscles. Incorporate this tool into your stretching exercises and use it in the places where your muscles are most tense. This also ensures that you can stretch better.
Keep moving
It may sound strange, but to prevent massive muscle pain, it is good to keep moving. By exercising your blood continues to flow well in the places where you can get muscle pain. Go for light exercise, such as a walk with the dog. Challenging your muscles again increases the risk of muscle pain and possible injuries.
