Soothe Post Exercise Muscle Aches

Muscle soreness or stiffness that is felt a day or two after a workout is fairly common—especially after starting or changing your type or level of exercise.

Unless the pain is sudden, sharp, and comes with swelling or bruising, know that the “delayed” ache you’re feeling is most likely normal muscle reaction to exertion, and it’s part of a strengthening process that will lead to greater endurance and increased speed of recovery…so it’s all good.

But, how can you feel better while you’re muscles are doing their thing?

Research findings are mixed on the effectiveness of a variety of treatments, but one that professional athletes use is water therapy.

By alternating hot and cold baths or showers, you may find you recover faster because, in theory, the temperature changes constrict and dilate blood vessels which works to flush waste products out of the tissues, bumping up total body function, and paving the way for faster healing.

See how this works for you:
In the shower, alternate between 2-3 minutes of hot water, then a 30 second or so blast of cold water. Go back and forth for three or four cycles.

Delayed pain from a workout usually peaks at two days, then starts to fade. Light stretching and massage can also work to get you back on track faster.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, drink and get enough sleep, too! Both are extremely important for allowing your body to function at its best.

j.

Multi-Tasking Walking

I love to walk.

There you have it, plain and simple.

Sure I like to try other exercises. I’ve shaken things I probably shouldn’t have shaken at Zumba classes. I’ve done steps, and cycles, and weights, and hula hoops…

It’s all fun, but when it comes right down to it, I always go back to walking.

It’s best for me if I walk first thing in the morning. If I wait too long, the day sucks me in and it gets too easy to say, “I don’t have time.”

So, going early ensures I get it done, but I also like it because starting the day with a work-out sets me up mentally for making better, healthier choices throughout the entire day. Lately I’ve been walking in a cemetery near my home. Geez, how fun, right?! I know it might sound a little gloomy at first, but it’s not at all!

Cemeteries have great, paved, private walking paths, and some challenging hilly areas! No worries about any heavy traffic. Pets aren’t allowed, so getting a shock from a barking dog isn’t an issue. The paths are tree-lined, which creates some nice shade and peaceful, playful shadows on the pavement. The back of the cemetery near me has a fairly large military burial area, speckled with little American flags.

It’s a quiet, reflective, place where I get a lot of good thinking done, along with a good workout.

Because there’s nobody around who cares, I walk with my little hand weights. I do bicep curls, and tricep presses, and movements for my shoulders and chest while I walk. Holding the weights, extending my arms out in front of me and slowing lowering them and raising them to chest height hits my ab muscles, too.

My good friend Leslie Sansone is the ultimate walk-a-holic! She loves it so much she created a program that has become the #1 indoor walking program in the world! She talks about the total body and brain benefits of walking at jenniferTVshow.com.
I drove the path I walk through the cemetery and know that three laps equals one mile. Most mornings between walking through the cemetery and back around through my neighborhood I get about three miles in!

I’ve lost weight. I’ve toned my muscles. I’ve strengthened my heart and lungs. I also end up with a clear mind. Great business ideas pop into my head. I feel grounded, and centered, and balanced.

That’s what I’m talkin’ about! In our busy lives, we NEED to find ways to maximize the time we can find for ourselves.

Start your day with a walk around your block and let me know how you feel!

j.