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What Is the Best Treatment for Muscle Soreness After Exercise?

There is no one simple way to treat delayed onset muscle soreness. In fact, there has been an ongoing debate about both the cause and treatment of DOMS. In the past, gentle stretching was one of the recommended ways to reduce exercise related muscle soreness, but a study by Australian researchers published in 2007 found that stretching is not effective in avoiding muscle soreness.
So does anything work to reduce delayed-onset muscle soreness? Nothing is proven 100 percent effective, and although some people have found the following advice helpful, it's best to try a few things to see what works for you. Ultimately, best advice for treating DOMS is to prevent it in the first place.


One technique I've used with some success to reduce my own muscle soreness is to use a foam roller regularly as a part of my cool down. This has been particularly helpful for me after a long, high intensity bike ride or after I start a new type of exercise or a new weight training routine

Tips for Dealing with Muscle Soreness After Exercise

If you do find yourself sore after a tough workout or competition, try these methods to deal with your discomfort. Although not all are backed up with research, many athletes report success with some of the following methods.
Use Active Recovery. This strategy does have support in the research. Performing easy low-impact aerobic exercise increasing blood flow and is linked with diminished muscle soreness. After an intense workout or competition, use this technique as a part of your cool down.
Rest and Recover. If you simply wait it out, soreness will go away in 3 to 7 days with no special treatment.
Try a Sports Massage. Some research has found that sports massage may help reduce reported muscle soreness and reduce swelling, although it had no effects on muscle function.
Try an Ice Bath or Contrast Water Bath. Although no clear evidence proves they are effective, many pro athletes use them and claim they work to reduce soreness.
Use R.I.C.E., the standard method of treating acute injuries, if your soreness is particularly painful.
Perform Gentle Stretching. Although research doesn't find stretching alone reduces muscle pain of soreness, many people find it simply feels good.
Try a Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory. Aspirin, ibuprofen or naproxen sodium may help to temporarily reduce the muscle soreness, although they won't actually speed healing. Be careful, however, if you plan to take them before exercise. Studies reported that taking ibuprofen before endurance exercise is not recommended.
Try Yoga. There is growing support that performing Yoga may reduce DOMS.
Listen to Your Body. Avoid any vigorous activity or exercise that increases pain.
Allow the soreness to subside thoroughly before performing any vigorous exercise.
Warm Up completely before your next exercise session. There is some research that supports that a warm-up performed immediately prior to unaccustomed eccentric exercise produces small reductions in delayed-onset muscle soreness (but cool-down performed after exercise does not).
** If your pain persists longer than about 7 days or increases despite these measures, consult your physician.
Learn something from the experience! Use prevention first.





Tips to Help Prevent Muscle Soreness After Exercise

While you may not be able to prevent muscle soreness entirely, you may reduce the intensity and duration of muscles soreness if you follow a few exercise recommendations.
Progress Slowly. The most important prevention method is to gradually increase your exercise time and intensity. See the 10 percent rule if you need some exercise progression guidelines.
Warm Up thoroughly before activity and cool down completely afterward.
Cool Down with gentle stretching after exercise.
Follow the Ten Percent Rule. When beginning a new activity start gradually and build up your time and intensity no more than ten percent per week.
Know the 10 Tips for Safe Workouts.
Follow the Spring Training Fitness Tips.
Hire a Personal Trainer if you aren't sure how to start a workout program that is safe and effective.
Start a new weight lifting routine with light weights and high reps (10-12) and gradually increase the amount you lift over several weeks.
Avoid making sudden major changes in the type of exercise you do.
Avoid making sudden major changes in the amount of time that you exercise.

hows everyones 5k time now on round 3? im at 48mins!! i started at over 2hrs! :bigsmile: it feels so good to go and move and run!

come on girls lets go! :flowerforyou:

48 minutes for me last time it took me 84 minutes. Good job girl you rocked your 5k time!!
Side note: I keep forgetting to get on here
But I'm still here going strong!