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If you’ve been spending a lot of time at the gym it’s likely that you will experience aching muscles afterwards. This normal muscle soreness manifests itself as a dull but localized pain in the worked muscles that doesn’t limit range of motion but may be accompanied by tightness and temporary loss of strength.

On a cellular level, what is happening is that because of this over training, the muscle fiber has been torn and this makes the muscle cells release content. This content are attracting inflammatory cells, which then releases chemicals that cause irritation to the nerve fibers and creates pain.

You should always aim to work out in a way that doesn’t give you muscle soreness, but sometimes it just happens anyway. If your muscles ache it’s good to know that there are a few things you can do about it.

A stretch after your work out is essential to lower the risk of muscle soreness. This makes the blood and lymphatic circulation flow with more ease, which prevents tightness and stiffness in the muscles.

By giving your muscles a slow massage, you also aid the circulation and help the body to let go of the inflammatory cells. Start gently and increase the pressure and depth of the massage and you will feel an easing in the muscle.

A hot bath can also be helpful, as well as spending some time in a sauna. The warmth makes the circulation more efficient and makes the healing process faster.

It can also be beneficial to do some light exercise, like going for a walk or a swim. This prevents the muscles to go stiff and also makes the blood flow.

It’s also important to give your body a good warm up before your weight lifting. This makes the blood flow and the muscles will more efficiently respond to the activity without being torn and create pain.

Let the sore muscles be your guidance and make the next session a lighter one. By working out to hard you don’t build your muscles quicker, instead you gain soreness and your muscles will get tired and in time the muscle growth process will actually slow down. So be gentle to your body and give it what it needs and the results can come.

Filed under: Health & Fitness