Sore Muscles?

Workout Recovery:

You may have noticed after a really good workout you continue to feel it for a few days? There are a lot of things you can do to help with the muscle soreness that lingers. I thought I’d share a few of my favorites! Now, mind you; there are a ton of recovery options available, these are just a few that really work well for me!

-Warm up before you start. Take time to get your muscles ready to work. I usually spend a good 15-20 minutes before my workout. I’ll spend a little time on the rower, jumping rope, stretching, doing pull-ups, push-ups, etc. . .  think of it as a mini pre-workout before your workout, lol!

-Cool down & stretch out. Yes, again. . . after your workout, take time to cool down & stretch those tired muscles.  I spend about the same amount of time or a little longer stretching after. Some of my go-to tools are: rollers, small hard balls, & softballs.

-Ice. I do a lot of strength training & after, I find that icing is a great help! I like to use the gel ice-packs (you can find these at almost any of your local stores) rather than real ice, but that’s just my preference.

-Epsom Salt baths. This is a major one for me. As you experiment with recovery tools, you’ll find some work better for you than others & this one really helps me.  I mix in lavender oil with the Epsom salt & soak in a nice hot bath for about 30 minutes.

-Sleep. Remember that when you work out you are essentially tearing your muscles down. The magic happens as your recover so give yourself good recovery time.  Get your sleep!