If you’ve started the year strong with your fitness goals, your muscles may be feeling it post workout. If you dread that post workout soreness, here are a few things you can do to minimize soreness. We interviewed Ben Lucas, the Director of Flow Athletic and Flow Athletic TV, to tell us more about what we can do pre and post-workout to ensure that we get the maximum recovery possible when it comes to training. Keep reading for more!
5 Top Training Tips to Minimize Soreness from Your Workouts
1) Fuel Your Body with Carbs
Fuel your body with quality carbohydrates before a workout. Studies have shown that they can help reduce stress to your muscles after a workout. In one study, runners who ate 120 grams of carbs per hour showed significantly lower muscle damage. The right carb intake can keep muscle glycogen stores which then helps to minimize fatigue and damage. If you don’t typically have carbs in your diet, start up increasing your intake slowly and look to include quality carbs like breads and cereal.
2) Nourish Your Body Post Workout
After a workout, look to foods with micronutrients to help minimize soreness. Eggs, salmon, legumes and lean meats and leafy greens are packed with vitamins and micronutrients. If you’ve been holding off on coffee post workouts, there’s good news. Research has shown that a little bit of caffeine can actually help to reduce sore muscles.
3) Watch Your Water Intake
Getting plenty of water into your system should be no surprise. This is because your heart rate increases when you exercise, so your muscles can get a sufficient amount of blood and oxygen. When you don’t drink water, this process slows, causing muscle pain and cramps.
4) Get a Massage
If you need a reason to indulge, studies have shown that getting a sports massage after every workout reduces muscle soreness. It also showed that massages can improve recovery. The key to making the most out of your massage session is to schedule it right after your workout. On a budget? Invest in a foam roller which offers similar benefits.
5) Add in a Recovery Workout
It may sound counterintuitive to add another workout to help your muscles recover, but a light 20 minute workout can actually help reduce sore muscles. A study showed that 20 minutes of low intensity cycling can actually reduce muscle pain.
