Most of us have experienced that post workout, next morning can’t move feeling at some point in time in our lives and as a Personal Trainer I hear about it A LOT!! So thats why I thought I would put together for you a list of ways to naturally reduce muscle pain post exercise.

I think the worst muscular pain I had was after my first VERY hilly half marathon last year. The morning after I could hardly walk. My legs were like dead weights wanting to give in with every step. This lasted for a good 4 days!

Its not healthy to be pushing our bodies to the point of extreme muscular pain a regular basis. For an event of every so often to really kick start our training program, the body can adapt and recover to this extreme load.

That feeling the next morning of, ‘I can feel my muscles a bit today’ means you have worked them hard and they are repairing to become stronger. This is ok 1-2 x/ week. No more! To get results, our body needs time to repair.

Many people will experience muscular pain after their first 1-3 sessions into training while the body adapts to a new type of movement. This is normal!

So what can we do to naturally reduce muscle pain post exercise?

Naturally Reduce Muscle Pain Post Exercise!

1. Epson Salt Bath- absorbing epson salt straight to the muscular system will help relieve pain, reduce inflammation and irritation in the joints and muscles. So jump into a warm bath of epson salts and chill back with a book. I also love adding a few drops of lavender oil for deep relaxation. Even better, jump in a cold pool or the ocean first before your warm epson salt bath.
2. Re-hydrate Naturally- optimal hydration is at the front of all repair processes. Hydrate with lots of filtered water and a pinch of a high quality mineral salt added. This will remineralise the body of that lost during exercise and necessary in the repair process. I love using himalayan pink salt. Pure coconut water is another fantastic natural mineral hydrating drink.
3. It may be an obvious one but stretch!! – Most of us know it however most of us either don’t do it, or not enough of it. Yes I’m guilting also!! After cooling down, make sure you stretch for a minimum of 30 seconds per stretch/ side. Then later on commit to some deep tissue foam rolling! A foam roller is the best recovery investment. Then stretch again the next day or head to a Yin Yoga class- my fav!
4. Eat for muscular recovery- this is the fun part! Fill your body with foods to reduce inflammation and assist is muscular repair. Smoothies are great for this! You can pack them full of nutrition that is easily digestible in liquid form. Think cocao powder, oats, turmeric, super green powders, chia seeds, coconut oil,  bananas, berries, eggs, plant based protein powders, nuts and seeds. You can find lots more recipes and tips on post workout recovery on our BareVitality site! And try and get in a balanced muscular recovery meal within 1.5 hours after exercise.
5. Rest and repair – its crucial the evening after a big workout to be asleep by 10pm! Why? because the body goes through the stage of physical repair between 10pm- 2am. If you fall asleep at 11.30pm, you miss out on a whole hour and a half of physical repair. Also the following day should be a rest day for just a gentle walk and stretching.
6. Continue to move- if we keep still at times of muscular damage, the body ceases up more. We need to keep movement flowing through those areas. Thats why a balance or rest, stretching and gentle walking is the perfect combination to muscular repair.

Do you have any great tips to naturally reduce muscle pain post exercise that work for you?

xx