Tuesday Tip - Reduce Post Workout Soreness With Active Recovery

We’ve all heard TONS of fitness and nutrition advice, some of it from trainers, infomercials and even well-meaning friends. It can be confusing and at times conflicting. So, we’ve dedicated Tuesdays to giving you some of our best health, nutrition and fitness tips. We base our health and fitness advice on medical evidence. Join us on Tuesdays for our best tips that will help keep you safe and give you the best results.

Reduce Post Workout Soreness With Active Recovery

We all experience post workout muscle soreness from time to time, whether it is due to trying a new exercise or activity or because you have been sedentary and are now starting to workout.

The best remedy is not bed rest or inactivity... It is actually best to keep moving with some light activity. This is what we call “active recovery”. It will actually reduce the intensity and duration of your discomfort. The metabolites in your sore muscles that cause pain are dispersed and diffused by activity, and blood flow is increased to the muscle tissue, speeding recovery by up to 40 percent. So when you wake up the “day after” and are achy, resist the temptation to stay in bed, and instead, take a walk, go for a swim, do some light yoga moves, or do a few simple rounds of calisthenics the day after a workout. You will recover more quickly and be better able to stay on track with your fitness goals!

For more tips on working out, nutrition, and living a healthy lifestyle, visit our blog, Eat And Be Fit.