Muscle Soreness

meghan171

Does anyone have some good tips for helping with muscle soreness? I've been doing Insanity for almost 2 weeks now, & my muscles hurt every day. The pain gets to the point where I dread doing the workout. I feel good while I'm doing it, but once it's over, it hurts to move the rest of the day/night. I've slept with a heating pad, & take hot showers after my workout, but it's not really helping. Any other tips? I really don't want to quit Insanity because I've already noticed a huge improvement!

newjmf

Soak in a tub of HOT water with Epsom salt. It helped my leg soreness when I first started running.

schninie82

Radox bath

Dkittery

It sounds like your not getting enough protein. I know when my muscles are sore that means I haven't eaten enough protein. And it could be that your body is telling you to take a day off if your working out every day. Muscles do need some time to recover. That's just my thoughts.

pyro13g

Ice bath and make sure you are getting proper recovery nutrition and nutrition in general. I would say soreness of that intensity after two weeks is NOT normal unless you really dogged it the first week.

http://www.runaddicts.net/tips-tricks/ice-bath-therapy-speed-up-recovery-and-enhance-performance

morganadk2_deleted

Water, bath in it and drink it!

missie21

I agree with the hot bath and try massage and taking pain reliever after the workout....... it helps me... good luck!!!

wiggleroom

Potassium is important, too. Bananas, orange fruits and vegetables (sweet potatoes, apricots, peaches, etc.), plus soybeans, white beans, yogurt....

Here's a list:

http://www.hoptechno.com/bookfoodsourceK.htm

McBody

drink more water and ice your muscles! Heat makes the soreness last longer because it expands the muscles and lets the lactic acid get deeper into your muscles... ICE on the other hand makes the muscles contract and push the lactic acid to the surface so that your body can eliminate it faster.

Buckeyt

I tyr to work insanity into my P90X routine and if I don't stretch a ton after the workout my calves will be killing me for for the next day at least. I'd try do some extra stretching for your quads, hamstrings and calves.

Also try the correct post workout recovery drink, the P90X one, which is full of carbs is what your body needs right after one of those brutal workuots. You muscles burn sugar for fuel, so thats what they need immediately afterwards not protein. Protein comes an hour or so later.

Tim

mmtiernan

I agree with the poster who suggested stretching. When ever I do a particularly tough workout (such as Insanity!) I always stretch well immediately afterward or pop in a yoga DVD and stretch that way. I also make sure that I have a protein drink within an hour, preferrably a half hour, of finishing my workout. This has always worked for me - and when I don't stretch or take in the protein, I definitely feel it the next day!!

Good luck!

tamif27

drink lots of water during the exercise. edit: drink water frequently, in general. The water will flush the lactic acids which otherwise build in the muscle tissue and cause the soreness. Stretching is good too. RICE: Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation

fteale

It could be not enough protein or carbs, or anaemia. Or you could just be over-training.

TrainingWithTonya

Rest and Stretch!!!! It's not lactic acid, regardless of what was thought a few years ago and is still preached by some trainers. It's actual cellular damage to the muscles that is caused by the high intensity. Don't do an intense workout for at least 2 days to allow that damage to heal. You can do lighter workouts on the days in between like walking or swimming, but only f it is lower intensity and not similar movements to what you are doing to cause the pain. Stretching will stimulate the nervous system in those sore muscles to tell the brain to send the nutrients to them to help with the repair and recovery. Make sure you are getting plenty of carbs and protein. If you are focusing just on protein, some of it will have to be used for energy production and can't be used for muscle repair. If you make sure to get enough carbs to provide all the energy your body needs, then most of the protein you eat can be used for muscle recovery.

You will hear various opinions on ice and heat. Some will say use ice because heat will cause more usage of nutrients so they can't be used for repair. Others will say use heat because it speeds up the uptake of nutrients and speeds up healing. Ice does slow metabolic processes and heat does speed up metabolic processes, so there are valid points from either opinion. Personally, I tell my clients to try both and stick with whichever works best for the individual. For someone with arthritis, though, I specifically say to avoid ice because it can cause a stiffening of the affected joints.

Definitely make sure you have plenty of water (because the muscles are made of 75% water) and also plenty of electrolytes like sodium and potassium. When you do a workout as hard as Insanity, you sweat a lot and lose electrolytes with your water, so use a sports drink and lots of water after those workouts to make sure you get all of it back in the body.

As for soaks, Epson salts are great, but I've also had good results from a product called Bath Therapy that I get at the drug store. In addition to the salts, it has minerals like in a natural hot spring that seems to help too.

leigh8210

Hey Girl!
I am doing Insanity right now as well... I am in the recovery week but I do remember those first few weeks were tough and I was pretty sore. A couple things I have found to help is that I do drink alot of water, I have alot of protein and I also try to get a recovery supplement in after the workout. This helps with getting sore. Not sure if you are into that stuff but it does help. I also would walk in the afternoon to workout the soreness. Hope this helps you out a bit! Good luck with Insanity!! Its for sure INSANE!!