One of the things that tends to derail our best workout plans and schedules is soreness. This is where I put the disclaimers: I am not a doctor, physical therapist, or other medical professional and so I do not diagnose or treat illness or actual injury. If you are sore for more than a couple of days after a workout, consider consulting your health care provider.
That said, I do know a thing or two about soreness and things we can do to mitigate it, assuming we are not actually injured. (I trust that we all know the difference between normal soreness and pain that means we’ve damaged something.)
First, let me say that ibuprofen is our friend, unless we have some reason why taking it is not good for us. Its job is to reduce inflammation and that is exactly what our soreness is. It is the best of the OTC pain medications for our purposes, but the other ones will do if we need to avoid ibuprofen specifically.
If our soreness involves swelling, ice can help bring that down. Some people also find ice soothing. I am not one of them, but I’m also not here to criticize. When the soreness does not involve swelling, heat can be soothing.
A combination of rest and gentle movement can also be helpful. Many of us, when we are sore, vow that we will never move again until it stops hurting, but it turns out that it will probably stop hurting sooner if we move a little. Certainly we don’t want to go lift a bunch more heavy weights with our poor sore biceps, but taking a little walk and swinging the arms a little will do wonders.
If the budget permits, I also love massage.
What have I forgotten? Best tips?
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