Avoiding sore muscles requires several commitments to your overall health and well-being. Muscle soreness post-workout is a common problem, but it can be avoided with some simple measures. In this article, we’ll examine several aspects of how to recover from workouts, and how to avoid sore muscles.

Pre-habilitation – The Key to Avoiding Sore Muscles

Pre-habilitation, or prehab, is the primitive rehabilitation of your body, which is typically done as post-workout stretching and mobility. It’s essential to do prehab before and after workouts to avoid sore muscles. Doing light exercises before working out helps to warm up the muscles and make them more pliable, reducing the risk of injuries and soreness.

Prehab consists of stretching and mobility exercises before and after workouts. Doing stretching and mobility exercises regularly and consistently can help prevent soreness and injuries.

Sleep – The Ultimate Recovery Agent

Sleep is the ultimate recovery agent for your body. Getting enough sleep is essential to the recovery process, and it’s vital to avoid sore muscles. When you sleep, your body repairs and rebuilds muscles, tissues and cells. The majority of muscle repair is done during REM sleep.

Not getting enough sleep can lead to muscle soreness and inhibit muscle repair. It’s imperative to get adequate sleep to ensure that your body can repair and recover optimally.

Refining Your Diet

One important aspect of muscle recovery is quality protein. Eating a balanced diet will help avoid sore muscles. Focus on incorporating quality protein sources in your meals. High-quality protein sources include:

– Various types of beef steaks
– Chicken, pheasant, goose, turkey..etc
– Salmon, tilapia, cod, halibut, haddock..etc
– Hemp or pea protein

Reduce Inflammation

Reducing inflammation is another key component of muscle recovery. Anti-inflammatory remedies, such as krill oil, hemp or CBD oil can significantly help to reduce inflammation and recover from muscle soreness quickly. Probiotics can also help reduce inflammation as they improve gut health.

Treating Your Body Well

Taking care of your body is an essential part of avoiding sore muscles. Some simple measures to treat your body well include:

– Epsom salt bath with essential oils if you have them available.
– Compression lightly applied to promote warmth and blood flow.
– Massage or acupuncture to improve circulation and blood flow to aid in recovery.
– Stretching and mobility exercises to improve circulation and elongate the muscles for optimal recovery.
– Light exercises and walking can be extremely effective for aiding in recovery by promoting circulation.

Myths About Sore Muscles

There are many myths about sore muscles. Some common ones include:

Myth #1: Leaving sore muscles to heal on their own is the best thing to do? Common misconception! Light exercise can aid in recovery as it promotes blood and oxygen circulation to the muscles, and Synovial fluid within the joints.

Myth #2: It’s a bad idea to workout with sore muscles? Light exercise can actually help in recovery, but don’t go heavy or over-exert yourself as it can be counterproductive.

Myth #3: Eating or protein shake immediately after a workout will prevent sore muscles? This is ultimate bro-science, and though consuming a fast-acting carb may help with muscle discomfort/aches after a workout, there’s nothing which directly proves that immediately consuming a protein shake after a workout will reduce muscle soreness or DOMs.

Myth #4: DOMs have nothing to do with sleep? The majority of muscle repair is done during REM sleep.

Myth #5: DOMs have nothing to do with gut health? During deep sleep/REM sleep, the body heals and recovers muscles through the gastrointestinal tract, which directly correlates with gut health.

In conclusion, avoiding sore muscles requires several commitments to your overall health and well-being. It’s essential to do prehab before and after workouts, getting enough sleep, refining your diet, and reducing inflammation. Treating your body well with an Epsom salt bath, compression, massage, and stretching also significantly aid in the recovery process. With these commitments, you can avoid muscle soreness and improve your overall fitness and wellbeing.