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Quick Ways to Heal Sore Muscles

Many people have had sore muscles in their life as a result of overworking them and may have not known how to relieve the pain. Muscle soreness, which can occur one to two days after heavily working muscles, is a result of small tears in the muscle fibers. You can get quick pain relief by following a few tips and guidelines.

  1. Stretching

    • Try stretching the affected muscles even though it may seem to cause more pain at first. Stretching will help get you on the fast road to recovery. Making sure to always stretch your legs and body before a strenuous workout can help prevent injury and muscle soreness.

    Move Sore Muscles

    • Move those sore muscles, but be gentle on yourself. Do not complete another tough workout until your muscles are feeling better as this could cause the muscle fibers to rip more and cause further injury. Try going for a slow walk to help work muscles. Remember, stretch your hamstrings before any exercise by standing up straight with feet together and touching your toes with your fingers. Another example of an exercise is to place one leg in front of the other while your knees are slightly bent with the other straight behind you. Push on your knees with one hand until you feel resistance. Switch legs and repeat three or four times.

    Massage Sore Muscles

    • Getting a massage is a way to relieve pain and increase circulation. If a professional massage is out of the question, a significant other can always be handy in rubbing those sore and aching muscles. You can try to self-massage in areas you can reach such as your neck, legs or other areas.

    Apply Cold/Heat

    • Apply a cold pack to the affected area for 20 minutes if it is painful and swollen during the first one to two days after the injury. If the pain still persists after this time, use a heat pack on the area to help relieve pain. If your muscles are just sore and tight without the swelling, apply heat and do not use the cold pack.

    Serious Injury

    • Know the difference between muscle soreness and serious injury. Consult a physician if the pain persists beyond three or four days or if it prevents you from completing daily tasks such as walking up stairs. This may indicate a more-serious injury rather than simply muscle soreness.

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