It is not healthy to continue doing sport when your muscles are sore. The injured muscle parts can then suffer more damage, and the unwanted break only gets longer. However, there are a few tricks to make sore muscles more bearable.
Training for sore muscles: That’s why sport is the wrong choice
The misconception that exercising helps with sore muscles persists. But this is simply not true. Your muscles are injured and swollen because the muscle fibres are torn and water is entering. Only one thing helps here: a break.
- A sore muscle is not a tension that can be released. Due to micro-ruptures, i.e. tears in the muscle fibres, water enters and forms so-called oedema. This causes the muscle to swell and stretch. We perceive this as muscle soreness.
- Whoever continues to exercise increases the risk of a more serious injury. The tears can widen and instead of being sore for a few days, you’ll be in pain for weeks.
- For muscles to regenerate, you need to take breaks. By the way, your muscles don’t grow during training, but during rest periods. That’s why training-free days are particularly important anyway.
This is what you can do when the hangover is already in the muscle
If you still don’t want to take a break and simply can’t do without your training, you should at least reduce the intensity. Depending on the severity of the sore muscles, light jogging or walking, swimming or cycling is fine (not recommended for sore muscles in the legs).
- Muscle soreness can last for two days or even a week. Usually the pain is worst on the second day. Take care of your body and only strain as much as your muscles allow.
- Avoid exercising hungover muscles by exercising others. With pain in your upper arms, you can work out your legs or the other way around.
- By the way: Warming up and stretching is advisable for your flexibility, tendons and ligaments, but it does little to prevent sore muscles. Those who subject their untrained muscles to an endurance test will still reap the hangover here.
Break instead of exercise: This really helps with sore muscles
If you decide to take a break instead of continuing to abuse your exhausted body, then heat is particularly advisable. However, you should refrain from massages.
- Massages are not advisable because the pressure on the muscles further irritates them and slows down the healing process. The same applies to stretching for sore muscles.
- Warmth, on the other hand, opens the blood vessels and stimulates the circulation. This allows more oxygen and sufficient nutrients to reach the injured muscles.
- Tip: Peppermint oil can have an antispasmodic effect and promote circulation. You can apply some oil with a cloth immediately after exercise to support the muscle.
