I am so completely creeped out right now. The ‘stache, the look on his face, the fact that she looks 16. Plus jeans shorts? The mesh tank wasn’t enough of a statement on its own?!
Last week found me kicking the laundry basket down the hallway with my foot. No, I’m not making my household chores into sports (although there’s an idea). It’s because my shoulders were too sore to lift the blasted thing. Of course it’s not just me who’s resorted to doing weird workarounds because of soreness. The DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness, also known as the reason why you hurt worse two days after your workout than you did the day after) are so frequent among the Gym Buddies that we’ve come up with our own subcategories. Toilet sore – my fave of the bunch – is when your legs are so sore you have to fall the last few inches to the toilet seat. Bra sore is when you can’t reach behind you to clasp your bra because your arms hurt so bad. Panty sore is where your hip flexors are so knotted up you can’t lift your leg up to step into your undies. And ponytail sore, well that’s what I had last week. Which sucks since I wear my hair in a pony all the time. (And a grey hoodie. I’m the mom from the yogurt commercials!)
Sore muscles are the plague of every exerciser. Whether you’re a fitness newbie or an old hand you’ll have to deal with the pain of a good workout at some point. Science to the rescue! Researchers have come up with some new ways to help you un-clench. Here are six ideas besides the usual rest, ice and compression tips (excerpted from my slideshow for Shape)
Mushroom extract
Funny story: a bunch of Chinese goat herders noticed that their furry friends got a lot peppier after eating a certain type of mushroom. So they did what any curious goat herder would do; they ate some too. Fast forward through a bunch of lab and research experiments and now the cordyceps mushroom is available to all, no goat necessary. According to ShroomTech sports, the ‘shroom works by activating ATP, the energy powerhouses in your cells, to give you “clean” energy without resorting to stimulants. (P.S. I’ve tried these and was pleasantly surprised. They do seem to work but in a very subtle way.)
Cherry juice
You won’t need a spoonful of sugar to help this medicine go down! Tart cherry juice is rapidly become one of the hottest super foods thanks to its high level of antioxidants (more than pomegranates, even!) and other benefits — one of which is decreased muscle soreness. Try adding a splash to your post-workout smoothie.
Epsom salts
Bath salts, not just for grandmas anymore! Magnesium, the primary component of epsom salts, is essential for healthy muscles and is a gentle natural muscle relaxant. The salts, when added to a warm bath or compress, are absorbed by the skin and are actually more effective this way than by taking an oral magnesium supplement. But then do you really need a reason to go take a nice, hot bath?
Caffeine
Your favorite latte just got a healthy halo thanks to University of Georgia researchers who discovered that taking caffeine, about the equivalent of two cups of coffee, helped reduce muscle soreness in women after a strenuous workout. It works by blocking adenosine, a chemical released by your body in response to injury. Just be careful not to overdo this one though as excessive caffeine use can cause muscle spasms.
Foam rolling
Add a different kind of rock-n-roll to your workout with a foam roller. Cheap, easy to use and according to many very enthusiastic adherents, the best cure for sore muscles since ibuprofen, this humble piece of equipment is making huge waves. Foam rolling involves a technique called self-myofascial release which uses pressure and targeted massage to help prevent scarring of the connective tissue between your muscles (the fascia). Take it easy your first time though; while it looks as easy as falling off a log, falling off this particular log can be very painful until you get used to the amount of pressure you need to use.
Creatine
One of the few supplements to hold up under research scrutiny, creatine has been shown to help lessen the pain and duration of muscle soreness from an intense weight lifting workout. Creatine is an amino acid whose job in your body is to funnel energy to your cells, particularly that of your muscles. So more creatine in your system makes for more energy both for building and repairing those biceps you’ve been working so hard on. Even better, reported side effects like bloating or stomach upset are rare and generally mild.
Note: you do not have to be sore for it to have been a good workout. I’m not saying you should strive for sore but DOMS happen to the best (and worst) of us!
Any of you have a tried-and-true trick for dealing with sore muscles? Share, please! What’s your fave category of soreness? Anyone else kinda love being sore? I love a good burn but hate being crippled. There’s such a thing as “good sore” right?
Other Stuff I Wrote This Week:
7 Workouts Inspired by Pop Culture: Shoot like Katniss Everdeen, score like Harry Potter, and sweat like LMFAO (Speedo optional!)
Beyond Coregasm: Top 5 Workout-Induced Pleasures. Yep, coregasms are real. I’ve said it before but now science has proven it!
Should We Be Congratulating Women for Not Having Kids? This is something I’d seriously never thought about before I read the NY Times piece on it.
Top 5 Worst Lunch Foods for Kids. Anyone who’s ever handed a kid a juice box in the car only to watch them power wash the upholstery with it knows that those conveniently packaged sugary drinks can be dangerous. (Seriously juice boxes have got to be the worst designed packaging EVER.)
Plus: Don’t forget to enter my Under Armour contest! You know you want those slash capris too – we can be twinsies!
I love a good burn but hate being crippled. There’s such a thing as “good sore” right?
A tennis ball to relieve soreness in the back or feet. It’s incredible and affordable!
Jenn
Certified Perinatal Exercise Specialist and Founder of Fit for Expecting
We have a friend who refers to the foam roller as the “Roll de Sade”, we just call it the “Evil Roller” LOL!
I swear by the foam roller! It hurts so much but wow is it effective!
And I’d just like to comment on how awesome that picture is.
I know that scientifically stretching does not reduce soreness, but I SWEAR that when I stretch out good immediately following a workout, I am not sore one bit the next day. Also, chocolate milk is my other fave for helping muscles, even if it doesn’t make them less sore.
Oh, and I totally love LMFAO. One of the best, most hilarious concerts I’ve ever been to.
As for giving women credit for choosing to be childless, I’m completely on board! The way I see it, there are WAY too many people reproducing that shouldn’t be…meaning people who are having children when they’re going to abuse them, neglect them, leave them or not be able to properly provide for them. Therefore, I think someone who doesn’t want children should be given credit for choosing to do what is best for them and for not bringing another child into the world that may not be given 100% love and attention.
I plan on being childless by choice. When I get married next year, I will have a stepson whom I love. But, I know not having kids of my own will enable me to continue to give much more to many more children because I’ll continue to have plenty of time and energy to devote to teaching therapeutic horseback riding. It’s my passion and my calling and I don’t think it’s selfish one bit because I’m still loving, helping and teaching children!
Amen! And thank you for the work you do! My kids teachers and therapists are the BEST, and we’d be in huge trouble without them!
Well, I’ll be having nightmares tonight courtesy of that picture. Thanks a bunch, Charlotte.
This is a very timely post – I’m so sore right now! Yesterday I went to grab a tissue off my desk (essentially a lateral shoulder raise) and thought I was about to die. Oh CrossFit, you hurt so good.
That picture is so funny!
And I agree with you, there is such a thing as good sore. But I do like to be able to function the following day…
Transforming chores into a workout sounds like a great idea to me 🙂
Quidditch finally became a reality?!?!?!
Oh.
Never mind. It’s still cool.
I avoid foam rolling. I know it’s good for me, but I’m such a wuss! I think I’ll stick with the epsom salt baths.
Finally, I don’t think it’s any of my business if a woman decides not to have children. Just my opinion. Feel free to disagree! 🙂
The jury is still out on this one, but ice baths. My old running coach swore by them, he suggested an ice bath after every long run. When I’m training for longer races, I still do my ice bath.
Also, compression socks are not just for running in, I wear them for recovery.
And lastly, just rest, after a long run, I like to curl up with a good book.
I so wish I could do the Tribute Training workout! I would even join a gym for that. Unfortunately, since I officially live in the Middle of Nowhere, I will not hold my breath for anything similar to show up here. (Since in my case the Middle of Nowhere is in central Illinois, I suppose there could be inspiration for a Children of the Corn workout, I don’t think that idea will take off any time soon. 🙂 )
I read that article on redbook too. While I am choosing to not have kids for similar reasons as the woman they quoted in the article, I would never think that I should be congratulated for it. If people understand and appreciate my reasons for it, sure, but that is sort of judgmental I think. It makes it sound like by choosing to not have kids that you are, yourself, judging negatively those women that do have kids. To each his/her own. I do what I can for the environment and one of those things happens to be not having children. But, I have been known to drive 5 blocks to work also, so….it’s all about balance.
I love being sore too. It’s a sickness we share.
I have used creatine – the newer ones, not the 20++ years ago ones & liked it! I also use a RumbleRoller & tennis ball PLUS I am now testing a Collagen supplement that really seems to help!
Toilet sore is the ultimate soreness to me. I’ve only really, truly, had it a couple times where I contemplated just wetting myself rather than figure out how to sit down. I’ve also had stair soreness where I had to crawl up stairs and inch my way down on my butt. I think another category could be “shampoo sore” because there are times when I can’t get my arms above my head to wash my hair. I read a study recently that estrogen reduces muscle soreness and DOMS in females goes away quicker than for men.
Creatine really works for muscles, I always take them for my weight training and I noticed that I recovered from my workouts quickly because creatine hydrates my sore muscles
The jury is still out on this one, but ice baths. My old running coach swore by them, he suggested an ice bath after every long run. When I’m training for longer races, I still do my ice bath.
Creatine really works for muscles, I always take them for my weight training and I noticed that I recovered from my workouts quickly because creatine hydrates my sore muscles
Oh, but I LOVE being sore! The sorer, the better. I’m constantly reminded of how hard I worked! And it feels so good to exercise and stretch the sore muscles. Mmm.