Once you’ve made a decision to hit the gym, there’s no going back on it.

You create a program, get your first session in, and you’re proud of your achievement. But the next morning, you realize your muscles are sore, and you have a hard time getting out of bed.

The condition is called delayed onset muscle soreness. It is a side effect of the stress put on the muscles after exercising. Usually, it occurs after 6 to 8 hours and lasts for a maximum of 48 hours.

You’re likely to experience muscle soreness ….

• after your first workout sessions,
• after more activities to your program,
• after increasing the intensity of your exercises,
• on repeating the same activity without taking enough rest

Everyone can experience muscle soreness, including bodybuilders and elite athletes. The good news is the soreness is an indication you’re getting stronger so there’s no need to worry.

When you engage in some fitness activities, you stress the muscles and the fibers start breaking. When the fibers start repairing themselves, they become larger and stronger in readiness for more exercise.

Here’s how you can ease muscle soreness after hitting the gym.

1. Get a Smart Mattress

What is a smart mattress? It’s a modern mattress that enables you to monitor your sleeping patterns. Sleeping is a powerful way of easing muscle soreness after overworking in the gym. The production of chemicals responsible for muscle building is high during the deep stages of sleep. Medical professionals recommend a minimum of 7 hours of sleep.

2. A Massage Helps

Some researchers have revealed that massaging can be helpful after overworking in the gym. According to them, it helps to decrease inflammation and speed up muscle recovery. Some people have reported improved blood flow and reduced muscle tightness after a massage.

Exercising leads to tiny tears in the muscle fibers, causing an immune reaction as the body works to repair the injured cells. Scientists screened tissues from massaged and un-massaged athletes to compare the speed of recovery and understand the effect of a massage.

According to the findings of the studies, a massage reduces the production of cytokines, which play a critical role in inflammations. The experts also found out that massaging stimulates mitochondria to convert glucose into energy, which is crucial for cell functioning and repairing.

Furthermore, you can use self-massage tools for athletes to boost the effects of your massage. Both fitness beginners and experts can use these massaging tools as they’re easy and reliable to use. They can be percussive, have long handles, or possess irregular shapes to target specific muscle groups.

Also, these equipment have vibrations and rotations in low, medium, and high intensities. Before incorporating them into your routine, make sure to take your time to learn how every massage tool works, as they might cause more damage than relief to your muscle pain.

3. Your Food Intake Matters

Your post-workout nutrition has a direct impact on muscle recovery. Failure to take the right meals after overworking in the gym will worsen soreness and result in prolonged recovery times. There’re several foods that are effective when it comes to reducing inflammation and muscle soreness.

Proteins, carbohydrates, and fats should be your post-workout building blocks. These three macronutrients have different roles for your muscle recovery

• Protein: Protein is responsible for repairing and building your muscle tissues. Right after your workout, professionals recommend that you take 0.14 to 0.23 grams of protein for every pound of body weight.
• Carbs: Carbohydrates are stored in your body as glycogen, which serves as your body’s fuel. Therefore, it’s crucial to replenish them after your workout to replace the lost energy used during your exercise.
• Fats: Some people think that consuming fat post-workout can reverse your workout progress, but fat isn’t always the bad guy. Fat won’t damage your recovery in any way. It may slow down th

One of the foods you should consider adding to your diet to ease muscle soreness is salmon, as it’s rich in proteins and healthy fats. The two components play a critical role in rebuilding and repairing the affected muscles.

Many experts may also recommend eggs as they’re rich in nutrients that are effective in promoting muscle recovery.

4. Take a Warm Bath

After a tough lifting session in the gym, your muscles may be longing for a warm, soothing bath. Take the warm bath after a few hours. It’s advisable to add some salt during a warm bath to speed up muscle recovery.

A hot tub reduces lactic acid which causes soreness. The formation of the acid occurs when there’s a lack of adequate oxygen in the muscles. The body can convert lactic acid into energy without oxygen. However, it can build up faster than the body can burn, and this causes muscle pain.

5. Increase Your Water Intake

Many people understand the need for hydration during fitness exercises. However, they tend to overlook the post-workout benefits of increased water intake. Water plays a critical role in the recovery process. It is necessary during protein synthesis.

Eating is vital after working out to refuel the body. Increased water intake helps improve digestion. Overworking in the gym results in fatigue. You can reduce fatigue by taking more water.

Finally, you understand the benefits of going to the gym regularly. Once you have recovered from muscle soreness, you should continue following your fitness program. You can take several measures to motivate yourself to get back to the gym.

First, you need to eat right. Include proteins, fruits, and complex carbs in your breakfast as they will keep you energetic throughout the day. Another measure you can take is setting reminders for working out. Avoid hitting the snooze button when the alarm rings.

Muscle soreness is part of an exercise routine. Managing your muscle soreness better will help you rest, recover and avoid injuries.

I hope you can find some help with these ideas and keep training!