We all know that horrible feeling of pain and weakness in muscles after a hard workout. There’s really no way to prevent it completely, but if you have a few home remedies in your sleeve, you will be able to minimize muscle soreness and pain and continue with your workouts in no time.
Have some chamomile
Chamomile is a well-known healing herb that can be used for treating many ailments, muscle pain included. Thanks to its 36 flavonoids, chamomile has strong anti-inflammatory properties that relieve both pain and spasms. You can take chamomile oil and massage it into your muscles or drink chamomile tea to help you relax.
Cherry juice
Most people who train really hard like pro athletes and marathon runners swear by cherry juice. This tasty drink can help combat inflammations and reduce muscle pain, especially post-workout pain. Cherry juice is full of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory components which relax the muscles in a completely natural way.
Hot pepper
A substance found in hot peppers like cayenne and chilly called capsaicin is a completely natural muscle relaxant often consumed by people suffering from fibromyalgia and arthritis. Capsaicin can be added to food (there are thousands of amazing spicy recipes) or you can find it in capsules and creams. When in the form of a cream, you can apply it directly to an affected muscle.
Magnesium
This mineral is crucial for human health and nutrition because it maintains optimal muscle function. While magnesium deficiency isn’t very common, most people who have it first notice muscle pain. Magnesium can be found in many natural sources like bananas, almonds, legumes and brown rice, but you can also take supplements as long as you consult with your doctor.
Marijuana products
Marijuana products are an excellent way to battle pain, including muscle pain. All sorts of products from CBD oils to edibles and buds work as muscle relaxants and can offer great pain relief. Cannabis contains two anti-inflammatory agents, delta-limonene and beta-myrcene, that play a big role in treating muscle pain and spasms. Just make sure to use quality products like properly-grown marijuana flower from Shango that doesn’t use growth hormone regulators, pesticides or other toxic chemicals. When using marijuana for medical purposes, keep in mind that only top products offer top benefits, so shop carefully.
Cold applications
While cold application won’t cool the muscle itself, it does affect and calm the nerves that register pain. So, consider getting a few ice packs and ice baths to relieve your muscle pain. If you experience strong pain, spasms and swelling, put the ice pack directly on the muscle for a few minutes (13 minutes is usually the best number) and remove.
Massages
While it’s best to reduce the possibility of getting muscle soreness in the first place, you can always find relief after as well. Light massage of your legs can decrease pain and help you restore your normal gait (when you’re in strong pain, you can wall a little wonky). Massage will also boost relaxation of the entire body and mind and boost circulation. And, you don’t even need to splurge on expensive sessions—you can easily learn self-massage.
Stretch
When being in strong pain, it’s easy to just give up on any activity and stay in bed, but that won’t help in the long run. You can get up, move around and do a few light stretches. This “active recovery” will ease the tension in your muscles, prevent stiffness and allow you to get over your pain faster.
Anti-inflammatory meds
When you really take your workout too far, you can resort to over-the-counter pain killers like ibuprofen and aspirin. According to research, these meds really help ease the pain, especially after hard leg workouts. However, there are real dangers of taking too many painkillers, so don’t overdo it.
Rest and sleep
Because muscle pain is caused by tears in the muscle tissues, you definitely need enough time to recover and heal. While being completely inactive isn’t beneficial, you still need to sleep in order to produce growth hormone and rebuild your muscles.
Sure, muscle soreness is very painful and overall uncomfortable, but it shouldn’t stop you from being physically active. When you know these few pain-relief secrets, you will easily treat your muscle pain and get back in the gym in no time.
