Are you limiting your workouts to the weekends? Then you’ve probably learned that infrequent physical exertion often has its revenge the following day in the form of sore, stiff muscles.
Achy muscles are a harmless but unpleasant phenomenon that usually disappears by itself after a few days, and is best alleviated through heat applications; If you train regularly and feel fit you’re not likely to suffer unduly from this malady. Muscle cramps can also be due to overload or other causes such as circulatory disorders or a mineral deficiency.
1- Take it easy during the first 12-48 hours. Sore muscles don’t have full function, and continued strenuous demands carry a heightened risk of injury.
2- A hot bath can help you feel better. Add some hay flowers or moor mud, plus spruce needle or mountain pine extracts for a soothing effect. The caveat: avoid excess heat for two to three hours after a tough workout, as it will promote circulation and increase inflammation.
3- A warm wrap with arnica tincture can ease the pain. First moisten a cloth with hot water and wring it out, then put a few drops of arnica tincture on the cloth and apply to the sore muscle.
4- Massage can help ease sore stiff muscles.
5- Ample fluid intake flushes excess acids from your body, and supplies it with important minerals. Good choices include herbal teas and vegetables and/or fruit juices diluted with mineral water containing little or no sodium.
• Muscle cramps
6- To relax a leg cramp in the calf, carefully stretch the muscle against the direction of the cramping, then walk back and forth a few paces. In stubborn cases, sit on the ground pull your toes toward you, and stretch your leg out fully, after that, gently massage the muscle.
7- Rubs containing extracts of menthol, camphor, or horse chestnut can add extra oomph to a massage loosen up cramps, so can essential oils containing St. John’s wort, eucalyptus, spruce needle, or thyme.
8- A lack of minerals such as magnesium, potassium, and calcium is probably the biggest cause of nighttime leg cramps, they are abundant in fennel, broccoli, bananas, dried fruits, oatmeal, nuts, milk, cream cheese and cheese.
9- Apple cider vinegar provides your body with potassium, drink 3 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar in 1 cup of water every evening for at least four weeks.
10- If your cramps are the result of a magnesium deficiency, taking magnesium in the form of effervescent tablets, in consultation with a doctor, is a good idea.
[Last Updated on March 13th 2014]
