How to heal your aching muscles

tigersword

I did my first strength training workout on Friday (opposed to lots of cardio and the odd weights machine)
And as expected I'm aching but all over.

I wanted to go back to the gym tomorrow (Sunday) but I'm soooo stiff, so I'm not sure now.

Is there anything i can do or take to elevate the aches so when i go back to the gym i can still do the sets and reps i want to do and not make some feeble attempt because I'm aching.

I'm wanting to do these strength exercises at least twice per week and another day do mainly cardio based stuff.

Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness is kind of like a hangover. Fastest way to get rid of a hangover is more booze, and believe it or not, the fastest way to cure DOMS is to get back to lifting. So relax today, and lift tomorrow. Even if you're still sore.

Elizabeth_C34

Light exercise is great for DOMS. Take a long walk or go for a swim.

Ripken818836701

I take vitamin C pills everyday and I very rarely have any pain in my muscles these days.. Lifting causes small tears in the muscle fiber which is why your muscles ache, vitamin C increases the healing process and decreases the amount of pain/aches etc.
I also drink a sports drink like gatoraide mixed with BCAA's just prior to and during my workouts and a whey protein shake within 30 minutes of finishing every workout.

FIT_Beanie

I think I'm going to go tomoroow but do cardio and if I'm feeling brave maybe one set of each of my exercises.

FIT_Beanie

I also drink a sports drink like gatoraide mixed with BCAA's just prior to and during my workouts and a whey protein shake within within 30 minutes of finishing every workout.

I have the odd whey protein shake, well i have it before my workout, should i have it after instead??

Ripken818836701

Yes you should drink a protein shake within 30-45 minutes of completing every workout. Also try vitamin C pills for your aches, they are very inexpensive.

KarenBoster

Everybody has given really great advise. The Two things I haven't seen is increase your water and don't be afraid to move. When I am super sore I make sure I drink a cup of water for about every hour I am up to rehydrate slowly and do some stretches throughout the day or and or go for a leisurely walk. It may not burn a ton of calories but the gentle motion helps work out the soreness and any knots in the muscles. When all else fails go swimming. You get the gentle movement and the cool water helps with inflammation too.

myogibbs

We talked about muscle soreness in my nutrition class & there have been some studies that show that dark berries (especially red ones) have an ingredient (which I can't remember right now) that can help with muscle soreness. I try to drink a smoothie with berries, banana & protein after my workout...not sure it has helped, but it is still a good after workout treat. Sounds like you just got too enthusiastic with your workout. I think most of the advice on here is pretty sound. Rest tonight & if you can bear it, try to stretch a little. Moving around will help get some of that lactic acid out, which is what causes the soreness in your muscles. I would probably do some cardio tomorrow and maybe try again the next day to do some lifting. Start slow...slow & steady wins the race You will still get benefits from lifting at a lower weight until you can build up to more weight...and best of all...you will be able to move the next day! Good luck to you! Keep up the great work!

FIT_Beanie

I am finding if i sit down at my pc for even only 10 mins I cease up, so when i get up I'm like grandpa simpson LOL

Ripken818836701

Everybody has given really great advise. The Two things I haven't seen is increase your water and don't be afraid to move. When I am super sore I make sure I drink a cup of water for about every hour I am up to rehydrate slowly and do some stretches throughout the day or and or go for a leisurely walk. It may not burn a ton of calories but the gentle motion helps work out the soreness and any knots in the muscles. When all else fails go swimming. You get the gentle movement and the cool water helps with inflammation too.

Swimming is a great idea but I dont recommend it if losing weight is your primary goal.

DataBased

My husband was alarmed at how sore I got after my first really strenuous workout, and I got the following advice:

If you have sharp pain - not just muscle soreness from working out - consult a physician before continuing. But if you have muscle soreness, the best remedy is a hair of the dog that bit you, so to speak.

Believe me, I know how you feel - but I was determined to keep my "every other day" schedule I'd set myself for my workout. I picked up some Traumeel topical gel and tablets, which seemed to help a great deal. Also, i took long hot showers and then, with the Traumeel applied and rushing through my bloodstream, I did as much stretching and light stationary biking as I could. I found myself able to work out on the next day, and from there on I felt MUCH better.

You can do it! :flowerforyou:

Brandongood

Glutamine helps.

And how can you say swimming isn't good for losing weight?

FIT_Beanie

You can do it! :flowerforyou:

Ahh thank you. I really want to keep to my scheduale too. Wednesday and Friday evening and sunday.

Ripken818836701

Glutamine helps.

And how can you say swimming isn't good for losing weight?

Swimming is great exercise, infact I was swimming in the gulf of mexico everyday when I am in FL. for my workout. But every day after I was finshed I would get these extreme cravings for food, ( something I never experienced during my enitre weight loss) I wanted to eat everything in the house. This left me puzzled so I did some research and found numerous studies that stated that people who use swimming as their primary exercise while eating at a deficit lose less weight on average than people who burn the same amount of calories doing other types of exercise. The reason for this is that most exercises causes your body temp to increase but swimming (even in a heated pool or in my case in the gulf of mexico during hurrcane season) causes your body temp to drop, When your eating at a deficit then have a drop in body temp it tricks your body into thinking its starving and causes you to have cravings to eat and eat alot. Which the average person will give into these cravings and end up consuming more calories per day on average than if they did other types of excercise. These studies caused a light bulb to go off in my head because during the entire last year of eating at a deficit and excerising 7 days per week, the only time I had trouble sticking to my diet was when I was in FL. and swimming everyday. I never had these cravings when swimming wasnt my main form of excercise during the past year. Now some people can fight these cravings and not give in, but like most people I couldnt.

tigersword

Glutamine helps.

And how can you say swimming isn't good for losing weight?

Swimming is great exercise, infact I was swimming in the gulf of mexico everyday when I am in FL. for my workout. But every day after I was finshed I would get these extreme cravings for food, ( something I never experienced during my enitre weight loss) I wanted to eat everything in the house. This left me puzzled so I did some research and found numerous studies that stated that people who use swimming as their primary exercise while eating at a deficit lose less weight on average than people who burn the same amount of calories doing other types of exercise. The reason for this is that most exercises causes your body temp to increase but swimming (even in a heated pool or in my case in the gulf of mexico during hurrcane season) causes your body temp to drop, When your eating at a deficit then have a drop in body temp it tricks your body into thinking its starving and causes you to have cravings to eat and eat alot. Which the average person will give into these cravings and end up consuming more calories per day on average than if they did other types of excercise. These studies caused a light bulb to go off in my head because during the entire last year of eating at a deficit and excerising 7 days per week, the only time I had trouble sticking to my diet was when I was in FL. and swimming everyday. I never had these cravings when swimming wasnt my main form of excercise during the past year. Now some people can fight these cravings and not give in, but like most people I couldnt.

Yes, eating raises body temperature. Thermic effect of food. That's one thing I've noticed during intermittent fasting. Once I fast for several hours, and the food I eat is all digested, I suddenly feel colder. Calories are a measure of heat, after all.

FIT_Beanie

Well here's my update.

Went to the gym, did 2 circuits of some different exercises, but using similar muscles, did some high intensity cardio only for 10 mins and actually the movement helped my aches. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. :happy:

I think when i sit still i cease up and when i moving it's better.

Thanks for all the help.