No matter how much you stretch, warm up and drink plenty of water, you can't escape the main consequence of returning to sport after a long break: aches and pains! These generally manifest themselves as stiffnessstiffness sensitivity and/or pain in unusually strained muscles.
Aches and pains can also be secondary to a viral infection (flu, cold, COVID-19...), to a premenstrual syndrome (occurring in women before menstruation) or to the certain medications (interferon).
Whatever the cause of your aches and pains natural solutions to get rid of them and prevent them from spoiling your next exercise session. Discover them in this article!
What is muscle soreness? What causes them?
Aches and pains are diffuse muscular pain which occur within 12 to 48 hours after a treatment. unusual physical activity. They generally reach their peak climax (pain peak) between 24 and 48 hours and persist for about 5 days.
Contrary to popular belief, aches and pains are not the result of a physical workout.accumulation of lactic acid in the muscles during exercise.
In fact, scientific studies have shown that the lactic acid formed is evacuated within the first two hours following exercise. That's a long way from the 12 to 48 hours before aches and pains set in... This accumulation of acid can only explain the aches and pains that occur... during exercise and within two hours afterwards!
In fact, aches and pains are caused by muscular micro-lesions that occur during physical effort. In order to repair these, our body triggers a inflammatory reaction reaction in the muscles.
It is precisely this inflammation, via the slight edema formed and the pro-inflammatory chemicals accumulate in the muscles, which stimulates nerve endings to send a signal to the body. pain message to the brain.
Aching muscles: 9 natural remedies to relieve them
For prevent aches and painsor at least reduce their intensityit is recommended to prepare your muscles before physical effortwith a good warm-up and a few light stretching.
Once they have settled in, there are a number of solutions to naturally relieve muscle soreness. Here are 9 of them:
1. Active recovery
When suffering from muscle sorenessone of the best ways to relieve them is to exercise - as long as it's short and not too intense! This is known as "active recovery.
For example, if you have aches and pains the day after a leg-training session, a little exercise can help. jogging for 15 to 20 minutes with a gentle pace or moderate is recommended.
This active recovery allows you to promote blood circulation circulation to the muscles, which accelerates waste elimination accumulated there.
2. Take a cold bath
Visit cold baths are effective in relieving aches and pains by reducing painful inflammation in the muscles after exercise.
To benefit from anti-burden virtues of coldimmerse yourself in cold water (temperature around 15°C) for around 15 minutes after your exercise session.
This method is widely used by top-level athletes to promote muscle recovery after intense training, a match, a fight...
3. Take Harpagophytum
L'harpagophytumalso known as "devil's clawis a medicinal plant native to the semi-desert regions of South Africa world-renowned for its therapeutic virtues in the treatment of pathologies of the osteoarticular sphere.
Thanks to anti-inflammatory properties properties ofharpagosideits active ingredient, this regularly consumed plant helps toreduce muscle soreness in both the short and long term.
In addition to reducing muscle soreness, harpagophytum is also highly effective in relieving other ailments associated with regular sporting activity, such as joint painjoint pain tendonitis and low back pain.
To make the most of this plant's therapeutic virtues, opt for the Coxadol, a dietary supplement based on harpagophytum extract.
4. Enjoy a meadowsweet infusion
Meadowsweet is a medicinal plant known for its powerful anti-inflammatory properties. Like white willow, meadowsweet is also known as aplant aspirin!
In addition to effectively fighting inflammation, this plant also has antispasmodic virtues.
Thanks to a dual anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic actionaction, it helps relieve all kinds of musculoskeletal pain, such as aches and painsaches tendonitis and arthralgias.
In about 250 ml of water, bring to a boil 1 tablespoon of dried flowering tops of meadowsweet and leave to infuse for ten minutes. Strain and enjoy! 3 to 4 cups a day of this infusion is enough to soothe your muscles and soothe aches and pains.
Warning: if you are allergic to aspirin or taking blood-thinning treatmentsavoid using this infusion.
5. Magnesium supplementation
The magnesium is a mineral that is essential for the proper functioning of muscles, as it acts on the permeability of permeability of myocytes (muscle cells) to other minerals and electrolytes involved in the contraction and in the muscle relaxation (calcium, sodium and potassium).
In case of magnesium deficiencydeficiency, muscles become weaker and more exposed to crampsand contractures and aches and pains. It is therefore important to provide the body with sufficient quantities.
For fill up on magnesium and reduce aches and pains, regularly consume magnesium-rich foods such as bananasbananas dried fruitand chia seedsseeds whole-grain cereals and fatty fish.
You can also opt for a cure of magnesium bisglycinate, a magnesium-based dietary supplement combined with glycine easily assimilated by the body. It therefore offers improved action against muscular disorders such as cramps and aches.
In addition magnesium supplementation helps reduce stress, anxiety and depression, enhances cognitive performance (memory, concentration), improves sleep and strengthens bones.
6. Wintergreen essential oil massage
L'essential oil of wintergreen, thanks to its anti-inflammatory properties, analgesic and antispasmodicsIt is highly effective in relieving aches and pains.
Dilute 2 or 3 drops of this essential oil in approximately 1 teaspoon of a vegetable oil (sweet almond or jojoba, for example), then use the resulting mixture as a massage oil.
2 or 3 times a day, energetically and deeply massage your aching muscles to massage in the soothing active ingredients of wintergreen essential oil.
In addition to relieving aches and pains, these massages with wintergreen essential oil help the elimination of metabolic waste and accelerate repair of muscle micro-injuries by activating local blood circulation.
7. Fill up on omega 3
Visit omega 3 are unsaturated fatty acids essential for the proper functioning of our body. In addition to maintain cardiovascular healthhealth maintain good vision andimprove brain performancethese good fats have a powerful action natural anti-inflammatory action to combat various pathological situations.
By providing sufficientomega 3we help our bodies to maintain inflammatory phenomena at acceptable levels.
As a result, by acting on their inflammatory componentomega-3s help reduce muscle soreness.
For fill up on omega 3regularly consume oily fish (salmon, mackerel, sardines, trout, cod...), of course. rapeseed oiland nutsnuts avocado and egg yolk.
You can also use a a dietary supplement based on fish oil rich in omega 3 to correct any deficiency and significantly reduce muscle soreness.
8. Green clay poultice
L'green clay has analgesic properties, anti-inflammatory and remineralizing on muscles, bones and joints.
To effectively relieve aches and pains, apply a thick layer of green clay poultices on painful areas (legs, calves, shoulders, arms, back...) and leave on for around two hours.
You can use this method for the first 2 or 3 days of aches and pains (once a day).
9. Take curcumin
Visit turmeric is one of the most powerful anti-inflammatory thanks to its active ingredient curcumin.
Consumed daily as a spice or herbal tea, turmeric helps to reduce inflammation and combat oxidative stress throughout the body.
Curcumin is effective for relieve aches and painsbecause it acts on the inflammatory component.
To make the most of anti-curbiness virtues benefits of turmeric, opt for a curcumin-based dietary supplement. In addition to reducing your muscular pain, you'll also benefit from a better balance of your blood cholesterol levels and a fat burning.
Conclusion: key points to remember
- Visit muscle soreness are muscular pains that occur after a workout. unusual physical activityespecially when resuming sport after a long period of inactivity.
- Aches and pains are a normal phenomenonThere's no need to worry, as they usually disappear within 3 to 5 days.
- The best way to get rid of aches and pains is to maintain regular physical activity over the long term.
- In the event of intense aches and pains, certain natural methods are recommended, including active recovery which consists in performing light physical activity while feeling sore, to promote blood circulation and accelerate the elimination of toxins that cause pain.
- A ice bath after an intense workout helps prevent muscle soreness and promotes muscle recovery.
- Taking magnesium bisglycinate is recommended to prevent muscle cramps and soreness, and generally improve muscle function.
- The turmeric and harpagophytum dietary supplements are highly effective in combating long-term aches and pains and various other osteoarticular problems.
- Infusions of meadowsweet soothe muscles after exercise and relieve aches and pains.
- Visit omega-3 help fight inflammation throughout the body, including that which causes muscle soreness.
- Massage with wintergreen essential oil soothe muscular inflammation and promote repair of micro-injuries.
