04 May Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness a.k.a “I Can’t Move my Legs Without Dying!”
When you feel sore, FEEL GRATEFUL that you managed to push your body to the point needed for your muscles to grow back bigger and stronger. An effective work out tears muscle micro-fibers, allowing them to grow back in to a better version of what you had before. Muscle soreness however, can be pretty frustrating when it keeps you from going about your everyday life. Here’s what we recommend to combat it:
1. Drink black coffee before your workout. Studies show that black coffee can reduce muscle soreness and fatigue by half during and after your workout.
2. Drink a whey protein shake within 45 minutes of your work out, or opt for casein, a slow release protein, right before bed time. Protein helps with muscle growth and repair, exactly what your body needs to heal damaged muscle fiber.
3. Take fish oil supplements: omega 3s found in fish oil are key for muscle growth, maintenance and reducing inflammation after a tough workout.
4. Ice the areas: icing muscles reduces soreness, inflammation and speeds healing and recovery. Go for the ice pack, not the hot bath!
5. Warm up, warm up, warm up! Lightly stretching the areas targeting during your work out will greatly reduce soreness prior. Stretching warms up the nervous system and preps the circulatory system for increased blood flow to the areas about to be used in your workout.