Prevent muscle soreness after working out

Aching after a brutal workout? Delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) can make you feel the burn while your muscles recover and rebuild. But, if you take the right steps after your workout, you can go hard without paying the price. Here are easy ways to prevent post-workout pain.

1. Stretch. Stretching is your first line of defense after a good workout. When you train, you contract the muscles, and the muscle fibers get shorter, lengthening them after a workout promotes mobility, and can lead to a more thorough recovery.  

2. Eat for rapid recovery. Even if you’re eating at a calorie deficit, you want to make sure to get enough healthy proteins, carbohydrates, and fats, all which play important roles in repairing and maintaining muscles. Beyond that, consider strategically-timed protein supplementation. A couple hours after working out and when you sleep are two times when protein synthesis (muscle repair) increases. Amino acids are your body’s building blocks

3. Ice it. Immediately after a tough workout, icing your muscles can stave off inflammation. Inflammation is one of nature’s defence mechanisms, but it works like a cast—it immobilizes you. When you keep inflammation down, that area is free to keep moving, and movement promotes healing. Like stretching, its effectiveness is up for debate—some researchers have claimed that ice is only effective for injuries and not for run-of-the-mill soreness, but it’s a simple and safe option that many top-level athletes swear by

4. Change your diet. When your muscles are sore, inflammation is a huge part of the problem. To help reduce this inflammation, add foods that are rich in omega-3s—such as salmon, free-range meat, flax, avocado, and walnuts—to your diet. The natural anti-inflammatory properties of these foods can help dial back the soreness after overexertion. Amino acid supplements can also help with muscle recovery after a high-intensity workout.

5. Massage your sore spots. A recent study found that massage can reduce inflammatory compounds called cytokines. One type of massage that’s gaining popularity is myofascial release, which targets the connective tissue covering the muscles. You can hit these areas yourself using a foam roller—put the roller on the floor, use your body weight to apply pressure, and roll back and forth over the sore areas for about 60 seconds. But before you do, make sure you’re rehydrated and your heart rate is back to normal

6. Get heated. While ice can work wonders immediately after a workout, heat can help once your muscles have returned to their resting temperature. Heat increases circulation, especially focused heat in a jacuzzi, where you can hit areas like joints that don’t normally get a lot of circulation.  Just don’t jump in the hot tub immediately after a workout, because the heat can exacerbate inflammation, and the jets can pound your already-damaged muscles. When your body heat is already high and you have a lot of muscle breakdown, sitting in a hot tub with the jets would be counterintuitive.

7. Move it. You may be tempted to plant yourself on the couch until the pain subsides, but don’t skip your next workout. Circulation promotes healing, so it helps to get your heart pumping—just don’t overdo it. “Active recovery” is low-intensity exercise that gets your blood flowing without taxing your muscles. What qualifies as low-intensity? It depends on your typical workout. If you know your training zones, you can use a heart rate monitor.

8. Pop a painkiller—if you must. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen can relieve pain, but many experts aren’t sure if they’re worth the risk. “A lot of athletes call it ‘Vitamin I,'”

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