13 Proven Ways to Speed Up Muscle Recovery
Hello, aspiring and current pro cheerleaders! Have you done strength training recently? If you have, then you’re probably experiencing soreness. I’m going to explain to you why that happens. Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness or just muscle soreness is a result of heavy strength training.
If you lift or pump iron heavier than the weight that you normally do, your muscle fibers tear up on a microscopic level. The tearing is even aggravated by the constant extending and contracting as you do your reps. This results in inflammation in your muscles which leads to soreness 6-8 hours after working out. The soreness also lasts for a day to two.
But don’t worry, I’ve made a list of how to recover quickly from the soreness. And as a bonus, I’ve included tips for pain relief as well.
1. Sleep for 8 hours
When sleeping, your body’s general energy consumption is reduced. That means more energy for bone and muscle restoration.
2. Drink a lot of water
A well-hydrated body is far from the risk of inflammation. When recovering from soreness, drinking a lot of water alleviates the pain while hastening recovery.
3. Drink protein shake
The micro-tears in your muscle which cause pain need protein to undergo rebuilding. That’s why you should get a lot of protein to make your DOMS as short as possible.
4. Apply muscle cream
Muscle creams have menthol and methyl salicylate. These are counterirritants that reduce muscle and skin inflammation by cooling it down and warming it up after.
5. Use a menthol patch
If you feel that your muscle cream doesn’t last for too long, you can use a menthol patch to cover up the area applied with cream.
6. Eat a lot of meat
Some protein shakes contain sugar, especially flavored ones. This might be a bad idea if you’re staying away from carbs. As a substitute, eat beef, pork, chicken, fish, oatmeal, or egg.
7. Use cold compress
Is there no menthol cream and patch available? That’s okay, you can put an ice pack over your sore muscles. It may be a temporary pain reliever but it still works well.
8. Do some foam rolling
Foam rolling after workouts lessens muscle sores. It also improves the recovery of strength by reducing stiffness, increasing blood flow, and reducing tissue tension.
9. Stretch frequently
Stretching improves blood circulation in your muscles. The more you stretch, the more protein molecules are moving to repair the micro-tears in your muscle fibers.
10. Drink coffee or tea before working out
A 2013 study was conducted and found out that ingesting caffeine based on body weight immediately after working out reduced soreness 2-3 days later. If you don’t like coffee, you can choose to have tea instead.
11. Get your sore spots massaged
Massaging sore muscles work like foam rollers. The best part is, a professional massage artist would know which spots to target for maximum blood flow.
12. Get a hot or steaming therapy
Another circulation-improving activity is getting in a jacuzzi or a hot tub. No better way to heal a sore body while relaxing at the same time.
13. Keep on moving
Have you noticed that your muscles are more painful to move after not moving? That’s because blood isn’t circulating enough to bring in protein for recovery. This delays the healing of your muscles even more.
While recovering, strive to do light activities such as walking or biking outside. Have a full stretching or yoga session as well.
Good pre-workout routines also minimize soreness and risk of injuries. Make sure to get 7-9 hours of sleep every night. Take a lot of protein and keep your blood circulation in good condition. Eat foods that are rich in protein. Bathe or soak yourself in a hot shower or hot tub. Follow all of these tips and you’ll be able to kiss the soreness goodbye ASAP!
Need a Great Workout Routine for Your Pro Cheer Audition Prep?
Pro cheerleaders stay fit, flexible, and strong so they can give out their best performance in the arena. However, achieving that wow-worthy, toned physique doesn’t happen overnight. You need to arm yourself with the right daily workouts.
Thinking of becoming a pro cheerleader?
We are offering you our fun, FREE (for a LIMITED time) POM FIT™ INTRO CLASS that teaches you beginner-friendly cardio moves.
To take your cheerleading fitness to the next level, we also have POM FIT™: GAMEDAY1™ - a series of challenging full-body cardio classes that include a body stretch class, kick stretch class, abdominal workout class, and more.
Join a POM FIT™ class below:
POM FIT™ INTRO CLASS (Free for a LIMITED time)
POM FIT™: GAMEDAY1™ (USD 27.00)
