3 ways you can reduce muscle soreness after working out

Anyone trying to progress on their fitness journey is familiar with the whole body soreness that follows a rigorous workout. Waking up the day after working out with pain in your arms and legs is enough to make most people want to quit exercising forever. But you shouldn’t let being sore after working out jeopardize your progress in the gym. 

While trying to prevent soreness altogether may be a bit fruitless, there are several ways to reduce soreness after a long gym session. It’s just a matter of taking the proper precautions before and after working out to ensure that your muscles are able to recover. Here’s how to prevent injuries while working out and make the recovery process a breeze. 

First — are you working out too hard?

Believe it or not, there is such a thing as working out too hard. Overtraining can actually lead to insomnia, depression, and chronic fatigue. In order to get the most out of your workout, you need to take a healthy approach to the gym. Studies have shown that around 90 minutes of moderate to high intensity exercise is enough to stay fit without the negative impacts of overtraining.

Even if you don’t have a problem with overtraining, you may still want to reduce post gym soreness. There are three simple things to remember when trying to manage post workout soreness:

• Catch a power nap after your session: Research indicates that a ten to thirty minute nap after a workout can help your body recover naturally and further the healing process.
• Drink your next meal: A high protein shake after your workout will help your body retain nutrients that can help your muscles heal faster. Whey protein and soy also contain valuable amino acids.  
• Dress for comfort: Wearing compression clothing can help reduce muscle soreness by applying pressure to the affected area. In some cases, compression clothing can even speed up the recovery process.

Get ready to work out again tomorrow

Drinking whey protein on an empty stomach after your workout may not seem like the most appetizing part of your workout routine, but maintaining muscle health is crucial if you want to achieve your fitness goals. Having a protein shake in the morning or at lunch is a small price to pay to protect your body from preventable injuries. 

Exercise should be hard, but it shouldn’t be harmful. Developing healthy exercise habits keeps your workout routine from taking a toll on your physical and mental health. All it takes is making a few easy adjustments to your exercise routine.