After a challenging workout many of us deal with delayed onset muscle soreness the following 24-48 hours. Although it isn’t anything to be alarmed about it can be uncomfortable, so instead of just living with it there are actually some pro-active things we can do to ease the pain and help our muscles recover more quickly.

1. Stay hydrated during and following your workouts. Replacing the electrolytes lost during your workout will help prevent soreness caused by dehydration.
2. Increase circulation to bring more blood to the taxed muscles. One way to do this is by taking a warm bath or using a warm moist towel on sore muscles.
3. Getting enough sleep is also important for post workout recovery. Muscle building and repairing chemicals are released during sleep so aim for at least seven hours a night.
4. Having a massage or doing some self-release with a foam roller or release ball can help reduce inflammation and increase blood flow, both of which will ease muscle soreness and tension.
5. Do a light cardio workout such as walking or swimming to stretch and warm the muscles for some relief. A good stretch afterwards will help prevent further soreness so make sure you finish with post workout cool down.

DOMS is one way we know we are building muscle strength and the frequency decreases as we get stronger but with these tips we can make the transition a little bit easier.