How do I combat EXTREME soreness and stiffness?

StormyGal8

Does anyone have any advice for helping to "recover" from super harsh exercise...meaning to help heal the stiffness the next day?

On thursday I went to my very first Mixed Martial Arts class. I am pretty heavy still, I was slow, but I gave it my all (mostly leg and core strengthening). For the next 2 days I literally could NOT sit down...my quads were SO sore and stiff that if I started to get into the "squat" position to sit down, I was unable to keep going, I either had to stop, or fall into the sitting position....since I am a girl, and therefore sit down to pee, this presented me with a problem. Even today I am still stiff and sore, but today is much better.

I drank tons of water, and was spending 24 hours a day on tylenol and advil (for my throat, not my legs), but I couldn't seem to get it better.
Are there supplements I can take? Anything I can do before or after, that will help to keep me from being so so sore next time? I am supposed to have a class tonight (Monday night) as well, but that will depend on how much my throat has recovered.


Would appreciate any advice or input!

meerkat70

Make sure you stretch out well afterwards, and try to do some stretching a few times a day. Ibuprofen is sometimes my best friend.

droogievesch

I had the same problem! Thankfully I work in health care and had safety bars at work for me to brace myself on as I fell back on the toilet! What helped me was:

Massaging the muscles to work out the lactic acid
Lots of water
Using them The more I walked the looser they got, and the less pain I was in.
"Inchworm" exercise: stand up with feet hip width apart. Bend over and put hands on ground. Walk hands out until you are in a pushup position. Walk feet up to hands. It really stretches your quads and hamstrings.

taso42

Try some foam roller and mobility work. I've been using Joe DeFranco's Agile 8 as a warmup for the past several months and it's worked wonders for me.

satxtrap

The best thing I could suggest is a foam roller. Go to youtube and search for some vids on what they are and how they work. There are inexpensive ($15 USD) ones and there are more expensive ones like the rumble roller that really do amazing work on breaking up the knots. The latter may not be the best choice for a beginner since it has been known to make one shed a tear or two until you are used to it. But oh... the relief it provides. Check them out.

If you are not already doing so, perhaps a post-workout protein drink would benefit you too.

Edit: tas42 beat me to the post. I feel like a parrot now.

thebrianmo

Honestly the thing that works best for me is to be in the pool. I am in the pool 5 or 6 days a week as it is, but I've found it relieves my stiffness and soreness better than anything else I've tried. Not saying it will for everyone as our bodies are all different.

StormyGal8

The instructor is really good about warms ups. He does a set at the beginning, one part way through the glass, then a cool down at the end. I think a lot of the problem for me is that I am out of shape, and working SO SO hard to keep up as much as I can. Don't get me wrong, I rest when I need to, but I push myself harder than I would if I was alone.

I will have to remember massage and hot baths. I was scared if I got in a bath, I may not be able to get out LOL I was drinking quite a bit of water too, but since I am sick with some nasty cold/ throat virus, my body seems to be holding onto water like there's no tomorrow. I am drinking and drinking (probably will be close to 3litres by the time I get into bed), but not running to the bathroom much at all. I am sure being sick (I was just coming down with this garbage on thursday) doesn't help matters much either!

StormyGal8

The best thing I could suggest is a foam roller. Go to youtube and search for some vids on what they are and how they work. There are inexpensive ($15 USD) ones and there are more expensive ones like the rumble roller that really do amazing work on breaking up the knots. The latter may not be the best choice for a beginner since it has been known to make one shed a tear or two until you are used to it. But oh... the relief it provides. Check them out.

If you are not already doing so, perhaps a post-workout protein drink would benefit you too.

Edit: tas42 beat me to the post. I feel like a parrot now.

I will for sure try a post workout protein drink (or snack?). I forgot that protein is so important after a hard work out, but will be more diligent in the future!

meerkat70

Some stiffness is inevitable, certainly. But the cool down built into a work out won't be enough stretching - you need to add some in at home.

Look up some stretched on youtube, or go to a body balance class to get some ideas.

DavPul

You won't be nearly as sore after the next time. I bet it's only 25% of the soreness you feel this time. And the time after that you'll barely feel it. What you feel now is really a first time only thing.

This is going to sound counter intuitive, but the sooner you work your legs out the better they will feel. Do some body weight squats and stretches to get some blood into them. If you try to just rest your legs the pain will last a week. Work them out and they will feel better immediately.

bacamacho

Should be gone in about 4-5 days. Warming up the muscles helps, but if it's really annoying, you can take some ibuprofen. As your body adjusts to the workouts, you deal with this pain less and less.

LottieLou13

I hurt mine bad a couple of weeks ago, what helped me was lots of walking, water water water, stretching, laying in a hot bath for a long while and lots of protein

ephemerata

eat some carbs.

seriously.

i've been through this before and the only thing that helps me is slowly stretching and increasing my carb intake to restore the glycogen in my muscles.

StormyGal8

Thanks for all the input everyone! I really appreciate it.

Does anyone have anything to say about glutamine supplements? A friend recommended them to help with healing...but I don't know much about it.

StormyGal8

You won't be nearly as sore after the next time. I bet it's only 25% of the soreness you feel this time. And the time after that you'll barely feel it. What you feel now is really a first time only thing.

This is going to sound counter intuitive, but the sooner you work your legs out the better they will feel. Do some body weight squats and stretches to get some blood into them. If you try to just rest your legs the pain will last a week. Work them out and they will feel better immediately.

After as many freaking squats as I did on Thursday, I am not so sure about this! LOL I have been unable to do squats for a long time, due to an arthritic knee. But last year I lost a little weight, and then I got a job that has me walking a LOT. Now I almost never hear any complaints from my arthritic knee. Thursday was the first time in YEARS and YEARS that I was able to do any squats. They weren't deep, but they were plentiful! lol

Also, that being said, I have been walking a lot since Thursday, due to work. I have also made a (painful) attempt, whenever possible to stretch the sore muscles out. I did not however, do more squats, cause I was pretty sure that if I got into that position, i would just fall down! LMAO

Wonderob

Ice bath - it's what the pros do

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_bath

ninerbuff

Epsom salt bath.

A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

LizbithB

DavPul is right about working the legs out a bit to help with the stiffness and pain. I had a personal trainer who was a female cometition bodybuilder and she worked me to death. She did lunges with me until I would cuss at her. She was great but my legs killed to the point of having a hard time walking up and down stairs. I was yapping about the pain one day and she asked me to do a short little light leg work. My first thought was "she is high" but it worked...my stiffness and pain eased up after I got the blood pumping in the legs again and I could get back up and down the stairs again without rapelling gear. Lol

Cindym82

Epsom salt bath.

A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

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kathryn_m

If you mix about 3/4 cup of pure black cherry juice (I usually buy the LakeWood brand. I'm sure it's available at whatever grocery store you have. I get mine at Publix) with 2 tbsp. of vinegar apple cider (the brand is called "With the Mother" and you can get it at Whole Foods) and drink it once or twice a day for several days, it will really help with soreness and stiffness!

bathsheba_c

This happened to me after my first martial arts class. After the second class, it was much less, and now I only feel a little sore after classes, and definitely not "can't sit down to pee" sore like the first time.