021821 SWB DIGITAL EDITION

With a new exercise program being
one of the most common New
Year’s resolutions, many people are
experiencing the realities of muscle
soreness after working out. Although
sore muscles are a common ailment
in the fitness world, and some people
even enjoy the feeling because
they know it is a sign of progress, it
isn’t always comfortable to live with
sore muscles.
The first step to relieving soreness
is to know what you are feeling.
There are two types of muscle
soreness. Acute muscle soreness
happens right away and can ache
for up to 12 hours after an exercise.
It is caused by a buildup of lactic
acid in the muscles and can feel like
a burning pain. If you’ve ever had
trouble sitting down after a hard leg
day, you know what delayed-onset
muscle soreness feels like. Delayedonset
muscle soreness can last up to
72 hours and is caused by tears in
the muscle fibers and surrounding
connective tissue. When the muscle
repairs itself, it builds and strengthens
the fibers, hence the common
saying, “No pain, no gain.”
However, just because muscle soreness
can be an indicator of growing
strength, it doesn’t mean you can’t relieve
the discomfort. While you can’t
entirely avoid muscle soreness if you
are working out, it is possible to lessen
its severity and treat the soreness,
so you can recover faster and build
muscle more easily. To get relief from
sore muscles, consider the following:
• Medication. Taking an overthe-counter
nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory
(NSAID) pain medication
like aspirin or ibuprofen can help
relieve swelling and aches. You can
also take an acetaminophen such as
Tylenol or a naproxen such as Aleve.
If you experience sore muscles
regularly, you should avoid using
NSAIDs, as long-term use can interfere
with the muscle’s ability to repair
itself. Some people also turn to topical
analgesic heat rubs like IcyHot
or Bengay. These are counterirritants
that give the perception of pain relief
by causing the sensation of heating
and cooling the skin. While they
may make you feel better, they don’t
actually affect the muscle.
• Heat/cold. Using ice packs and
applying heat are common ways
to relieve sore muscles. To treat the
soreness immediately, you’ll want
to apply an ice pack that day to
reduce swelling in the area. Many
athletes also swear by cold therapy,
like an ice bath or cryotherapy, as
a recovery method. For the next
couple of days, apply heat to stimulate
blood flow and promote healing.
Heat can be applied through a
heating pad or a hot bath or shower.
Many people find a hot Epsom
salts bath to be both relaxing and
healing.
• Massage. For deep muscle
aches, massage can be an ideal
recovery tool. Massaging the area
that is sore releases built up lactic
acid, stimulates blood flow and reduces
swelling in the muscles. If you
can’t see a professional masseuse,
foam rolling is a popular form of
self-massage. Foam rollers come in
various sizes and densities to help
reach every part of the body. The
high-density Styrofoam uses your
own body weight to apply pressure
to the affected muscles. These offer
www.SouthwestOrlandoBulletin.com x February 18 — March 3, 2021 x 5
HOW TO ...
Relieve Sore Muscles
No Pain, No Gain ... Right?
Muscle pain is a part of working out, but
there are many ways to seek relief.
by Lauren Salinero
an inexpensive way to get a muchneeded
massage.
• Rest/active recovery. One of
the best ways to recover from sore
muscles is rest. Rest allows the muscles
to heal stronger than they were
before without continual tearing. For
very active individuals and athletes,
active recovery may be the best form
of rest. Active recovery involves performing
lighter workouts, so you can
continue with an exercise program
without further damaging muscles.
Active recovery can involve anything
from yoga to walking or jogging
to simply performing a different exercise,
using different muscles from
the workout that caused the initial
muscle soreness.
• Prevention. Get a head start on
recovery by reducing the severity and
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frequency of sore muscles in the first
place. To help prevent muscle soreness,
drink plenty of water throughout
the day. Staying hydrated is essential
to staying healthy in general. You can
also eat anti-inflammatory foods like
tomatoes, olive oil, kale, almonds,
fatty fish, blueberries and strawberries.
Make sure you stretch before
and after a workout as well as warm
up your muscles before engaging in
any exercise. If you’re already sore,
stretching may be uncomfortable, but
it will help to keep the muscles from
stiffening up, giving relief in the long
term. Stretching and warming up before
a workout helps to limber up the
muscles and prevent damage.
It’s important to be aware of the
difference between soreness and
pain. Pushing your body too far past
its limits can result in pulled muscles,
sprains, torn ligaments and other injuries
that require prolonged rest or
more serious medical interference to
heal. If you experience acute pain
or soreness that lasts longer than 72
hours, consult a physician, as you
may have suffered an injury. ª
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