Muscles aching after you hit the gym or finish a high-intensity workout? Even regular gym buffs and seasoned athletes still experience muscle pain after engaging in strenuous exercise or physical activity. It’s actually a healthy sign—it means your muscles are engaged and stretched, and so the exercise is doing its job. However, if the pain is beyond what you can normally tolerate, there must have been some problems with your exercise. It could be lack of warm-up, too fast a progression for your exercise, or lack of cool down.

There are some ways you can deal with your post-workout pain. With proper form and proper care for your body, you can enjoy the workout benefits without going through the agony.

How to Handle Pain After Working Out

Below are some basic tips that will require no complex process and no complex mechanism. Try them and see how much your post-workout experience will improve.

Stretch properly

This goes for both the warm up and the cool down stretch. It’s important to prepare your body for the exercise by doing stretches before you begin, and as important to cool down your body and relax the muscles afterwards. Here are stretches that you can do before and after a workout:

By doing the proper stretches, you are conditioning your body for the exercise and relaxing your body afterwards. This ensures a smooth and healthy transition that will keep your muscles active without overworking them.

Bonus: Here are some other simple stretch and exercise ideas that you can do even at home.

Try a Massage

Getting a massage after a workout will relax the muscles and break any knots that may have formed during the exercise. It’s a great way to relieve pain and keep circulation at optimum level. And while a massage from a therapist is always a good way to go, there are DIY options that you can try by yourself and at home.

Massage Ball

If you’re an athlete or you engage in high-intensity exercise regularly, a massage ball is a valuable investment. It works on most parts of the body, relieves pain, and also reduces inflammation. Regular use can also increase flexibility.

Below are some areas that will benefit from a massage ball after a workout:

Back

Areas such as the lower back and shoulder blades will particularly benefit from a massage ball. One technique to a shoulder blade massage is to extend your arms in different directions while doing the massage to target several of the muscle around the area.

Hamstrings and Glutes

The hamstrings and glutes often store a lot of tension due to the thick muscle fibers in these areas. Simply rolling a massage ball over the hamstrings and towards the buttocks can help relieve the stress, release knots, and relax the muscle again.

Calves

The Achilles tendon, calves, and sometimes the back of the knee are some areas that will benefit from a massage ball. All you have to do is roll the ball along these areas, controlling the intensity according to what your muscles need.

A massage ball is a simple all-around equipment that can do wonders when included in your workout routine. Some of the extra features you may want to check when looking for a massage ball are a textured surface and knobs for better muscle targeting, as well as an automatic vibration feature for different massage intensity levels.

Massage Gun

An alternative to a massage ball is a massage gun. This takes pain relief to a whole new level as it targets deeper muscle tissues and joints. It’s also useful not only for addressing pain but also for reducing recovery time. In fact, it’s used not only by athletes but also by individuals involved in extreme sports such as martial arts.

A massage gun is easy to handle and easy to use. Having one is like having your own massage therapist at home.

Give yourself some TLC

This means the basic ingredients of a healthy lifestyle—enough water, sleep, and the right food.

Keeping yourself hydrated is a must before, during, and after a workout to replenish the fluid that your body loses as you exercise.

In the same way, getting enough sleep will help your muscles relax and receive the oxygen they need to regenerate and heal.

Lastly, eat the right food to help your muscles recover fast. It is advised to eat more protein after a workout so that you can regain your strength. Meanwhile, avoid food that can increase inflammation such as food packed in sugar, carbohydrates, and fats.

Like everything else, exercise and workout must be done in moderation. Too much exercise can strain the muscles and cause injury, so proper care is always advised. And for all your post-exercise woes and pain, don’t forget to give yourself the proper care that you need. Follow the tips above to make your workouts more fun and less painful.

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