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Whats the best way to avoid stiffness - after a workout?


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What exercises are you doing? I've found that post weigh lifting in the gym a burst protein with a bit of carb as soon as possible after exercising helps (te help muscle repair)- as does active recovery such a slow swim a gentle yoga session etc. the following day (to combat stiffness). I'm not sure how well these would work on aches and pains from more cardio intensive workouts though??

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Lots and lots of stretching, both directly after you stop and for several hours afterwards will help you if you have muscle stiffness (and by this I mean specific muscle stretches for the muscle groups that you have used in the workout) as will cold packs on the muscles that get stiff or alternating cold and hot packs. Massage, osteopathy, jacuzzi baths and yoga are also often recommended for both muscle stiffness and joint pain.

 

It's important for you to work out whether it's muscle or joint/ligament pain- both are likely to be improved by the above methods, but if it's joint or ligament pain you could also see big improvements by looking at your joint alignment whist doing your workout. With things like gym machines tiny alignment changes can make a huge difference.

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Generally muscular sornes after a training sesion is due to a build u of lactic acid which has remaind in the muscles after a session. sometimes te soreness can take a few days to reveal itself, this is called DOMS (Delayed Onset of Muscle Sornes) usually the fitter you are the longer it will be for the pain to occur. the best way to stop any muscular sorness after a session is to do a proper cool down and to stretch afterwards. by doing a proper cool down this means keeping your body moving which makes the vascular pump work, this s where by moving the muscles they contract and relax around the arteries carrying the deoxygenated blood and other waste products away form the muscles. this means that more of the lactic acid will be removed from the muscles reducing soreness. by stretch after a sesion you are extending the length of the muscle as by exercisng you are constantly contracting the muscle which shortens it and can lead to the muscle remaining in a shorter state than before, this is especially esential if you are weight lifting and wish to maintain your flexibility. if you still feel stiff after doing this then once at home it is always good to have a hot shower or bath to warm the muscles through and then do a very light stretch. i was told in a sports shop that by taking Gluetamine(excuse spelling) it can also help recovery rate. this is because most of the gluetamine tat we eat in our food is absorbed by our stomach and very little reaches the muscles so by take in the supliment more will reach the muscles helping them to recover quicker.

hope this helps, if i am wrong in any of this please correct me, its just what i remember from what i have read and from A-Level Sports Science.

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In addition to the above advice, an extremely cold shower (or ice bath if you can) will help to reduce muscle inflammation caused by the lactic acid build up.

It's not pleasant at the time, but I've found that it really works.

Hot would be exactly the wrong thing to do (at least soon after the exercise) as it increases blood flow and accelerates the rate that the lactic acid damages the muscle fibre. There's a reason footballers and rugby players have ice baths, and it's not just for the publicity.

Heat should be applied at least 12 hours after, at this point the increased blood flow will promote healing.

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Whats the best way to avoid stiffness - after a workout?

 

I often have this problem the following day after training, it means I have difficulty walking.

 

Stop looking at that cute lass in the tight gear. :D

 

Cyclone's cold shower may also help.

 

Back to the real world it sounds like you are failing to work down.

Slow down and not just stop. While you are still warm do some light stretching.

After a while the problem goes away on it's own as your body gets used to the work and sorts it's self out.

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I often have this problem the following day after training, it means I have difficulty walking.

 

Whats the best way to aviod this? and is there anything on the market thats would reduce soreness after excersising?

 

Definitely agree with what everyone's already suggested. Recommend progressive stretching before & after exrecise. Gentle cool down towards the end of a hard workout followed by 10-15mins gentle stretching.

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I often have this problem the following day after training, it means I have difficulty walking.

 

Whats the best way to aviod this? and is there anything on the market thats would reduce soreness after excersising?

 

A sauna is always really good after training. Helps recovery.

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