How to Prevent Getting Sore After an Intense Workout

Many people conceptualize the idea of being sore as something that is essential when you have a great workout. But in reality, soreness can be a sign of a problem and can interrupt your life after you leave the gym. If you take care to protect yourself before, during, and after your workouts, you can achieve your physical goals without having to deal with soreness in your muscles after the fact.

Eat Protein

A lot of the soreness you experience after a workout comes from your body working on healing muscles that have broken down. This process is difficult for your body to complete, especially when your muscles are lacking in the essential protein they need.

Eating enough protein before a workout helps to prepare your body so that it can do its job without having too much soreness or tenderness. Eating protein after your workout will also help to continue that process and keep you feeling as good as possible.

Rest

Many people end up exacerbating their pain after a workout because they don’t take enough time to rest. Including recovery and rest time, especially after intense workouts is essential to your physical progress. Your rest can include laying down, getting enough sleep, and even finding ways to relax your muscles more deeply.

Hot tubs can help relax your muscles after an intense workout. By taking a few minutes in the hot tub after working out, you can make yourself more comfortable and give your muscles time to loosen up.

Listen to your Body

The most important thing when you are doing any physical activity is to make sure that you're in tune with your body and what it needs. If you aren’t listening to your body, your workout may go beyond being simply intense and instead move into new territory of causing physical harm. Pay attention to how you feel while you work out, and avoid doing things that cause you pain or involve sudden jerky movements. These problems can lead to increased soreness or even injury after your workout.

Everyone who works out is probably going to experience some soreness from time to time. But you don't have to accept feeling sore as a consequence of taking care of your physical fitness needs. Instead, you can take care of yourself first, so you can minimize soreness and have great workouts.

Did you enjoy reading this article? Here’s more to read: What to Do When You Get Sick of the Gym