I’ve done a couple of posts recently about pain and discomfort, but I realized that I have a bit more to say about the recovery process. Just like we need plenty of strategies for getting through our workouts, or even getting to our workouts, we need a toolkit to deal with the inevitable soreness.
Please note: I am not a doctor or a physical therapist. Actual injuries require actual medical treatment, not just some advice from a personal trainer.
Traditionally, trainers recommend RICE for dealing with soreness and injury: Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. Those are all useful things to try, but they’re not the only things we can do.
For one thing, we can take Ibuprofen (if it is appropriate for us) to reduce inflammation and pain. (There is no added moral benefit to suffering when there are helpful drugs available.)
Ice is great for swelling and it can reduce pain, but if we’re just sore and not swollen, heat can be helpful as well. Personally, I find that when I have to ice some part of my body, the whole rest of my body tenses up from the cold so I have to be really hurting to be willing to do that. On the other hand, I love adding heat, either via a heating pad, a microwaveable gizmo, or a hot bath or shower. Your mileage may vary: do what works.
Gentle movement has been shown to reduce sensations of pain. This means some stretching or maybe a casual walk. Again, if it doesn’t work for you, don’t do it. Rest is also good and useful.
Our friend hydration also has a role to play in recovery. Water is essential to so many body processes, including coping with the waste products of exercise. Drink up.
Appropriate nutrition also helps us recover. We need enough calories. It can also help to avoid excess sugar, which can contribute to inflammation. We also need enough protein, but basically none of us needs to worry about that.
Self-myofascial release using foam rollers, tiger tails, or yoga tune-up balls can help with those very very tight places. It can be uncomfortable at first for people who are not used to the feeling, but most people find it to be a “hurts so good” kind of thing.
Possibly my favorite way to deal with soreness is massage. It will be obvious if I ever win the lottery because I will get a massage every day. Finding a massage professional who gets your body is worthwhile. Different people respond best to different levels of pressure. It is important to communicate with your massage therapist about what hurts, what level of pressure you like and can tolerate, and what your priorities are.
What are your favorite tools for dealing with the results of workouts?
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