How To Relieve Sore Muscles After Running
Do you still feel sore from yesterday’s run? Worry no more! Feeling sore is common for runners to experience muscle soreness or stiffness 24 to 48 hours after running or engaging in other types of exercise, especially if they’re new to running or have increased their intensity. Even though muscle soreness eventually goes away on its own, here are tips you can follow to get relief from the same.
Get enough hydration:
You should start hydrating within the first 10-15 minutes after stopping after a long and arduous run. It is essential to replenish body fluids since the body tends to sweat a lot, even in chilly weather. Hence, you should consume a good amount of liquids like plain water or electrolyte solutions, thus can help in avoiding muscle pain and relieving muscle soreness.
Do some stretching after runs:
Spend 10 minutes stretching your body after your runs, especially if the runs are intense. Work on your hips, calves, hamstrings, and everything else that feels tight throughout the run. Stretching your body can help prevent your muscles from cramping once they relax after running.
Do a light yoga session:
After a challenging workout or race, yoga is a safe and soothing activity to practice. Taking up easy and relaxing ‘asanas’ can help in relieving cramps. Avoid taking lengthy, rigorous yoga sessions; you can work with easy postures.
Take ice baths or use ice packs:
Runners often use ice baths following runs to relieve muscle soreness. Even doing a cold-water swim will help you recover in the long run. If you cannot withstand ice baths or cold swims, you can use ice packs on sore parts of your body to relieve muscle pain. To avoid overdoing it, you shouldn’t ice any body part for longer than 10 to 15 minutes.
Do a warm-up exercise before your run:
Always warm up for 5 to 10 minutes before a run or activity. Do your warm-up and then some simple stretches if your muscles still feel sore from your previous run. Begin your run by running slowly. When you initially start running, you could feel a little tight, but that should go away as you go.
Go for a massage:
There are special massages known as sports massages that are dedicated to relieving sore muscle. If you don’t have the time or money for a professional massage, do gentle massage with your hands or a massage tool.
It is crucial to keep in mind that muscle soreness is different from muscle pain. Therefore, if the pain persists for more than two to three days after complete rest and nutrition, you must visit a medical practitioner to avoid further physical ailments.
Lastly, as we recover from soreness, our muscles regain strength, increasing their endurance. So what are you waiting for? Pursue your passion for running with HDOR’s challenges to test your strength and win exciting finishers’ rewards.
