Thursday, March 6, 2008

How to beat muscle soreness

Have you ever had this experience.

You put in a great workout.

You're feeling great.

You go to bed.

Next morning you wake up, stretch out your arms and when you get out of bed to make breakfast you feel like someone just stabbed you in the legs.

You have a hard time going down the stairs. Just sitting down on a chair is a challenge.

You're in PAIN.

Yeah that's right, you over-trained.

You might be stuck in that same pattern. Why?

Watch not to be a Weekend Warrior. The kind of person that gets all motivated and does too much too soon. The WW is in pain for most of the week. Then when the next weekend comes around they usually repeat the same thing. Some are Month Warriors, some are even Year Warriors.

Avoid this trap.

Remember, progression through slow, incremental, CONSISTENT improvements.

We all have different thresholds for pain. Feel too much of it too soon and it will destroy your motivation.

To minimize muscle soreness here are some of the things I recommend.

The day after your workout, engage in some light activity. You might feel sore at first but once you get the blood flowing you'll feel the soreness and stiffness disappearing.

Another strategy is to soak in cold water. It's proven that exposure to cold helps the body process and eliminate lactic acid, the major culprit in muscle soreness. It could mean taking a cold shower after a workout or for the more daring, going outside in a bathing suit rolling around in the snow. My favorite.

Last step to avoid muscle soreness: Be Smart.

If you're starting out, go slowly, just do the minimum and in time you will build your strength, endurance and flexibility. That's why our basic strength training kit comes with a 30 second interval CD. It gives you a chance to work up to the 1, 2, 3, and 5 minute intervals.

Our strength training system is in place, you just need to start and we'll take care of the rest.

Master Yourself,

Sibok Martin

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