Have you experienced sore muscles a day or two after you work out? Know that you’re not alone—you’re experiencing delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). DOMS occur when there are microtears within the muscle that leads to an inflammatory process over the first 24 to 48 hours after an intense workout. While there are recovery methods like professional messages and cold water immersion, that have been proven to be effective, there are ones you can do at home. Check them out below!
Ice and Heat
Whether ice or heat works better for treating sore muscles is debatable, but they both work really well. Studies have shown that ice helps manage pain while others have shown that heating pads can help ease pain temporarily.
Things in Your Kitchen
Tart cherry juice, tumeric, and protein-rich chocolate milk have been shown to minimize soreness after exercising. It’s also important to eat a balanced diet with proteins and carbs and to drink lots of water.
Active Recovery, Foam Rolling, and Sleep
Keeping active by walking, stretching, cycling, and light lifting has shown to be the most effective for treating DOMS. Foam rolling can help temporarily because it increases blood flow to the muscles and getting enough sleep will help your muscles repair themselves.
