Muscle pain after exercise is common. Although not dangerous, this complaint sometimes raises the concern of serious injury. Muscle soreness after exercise is usually experienced by people who exercise after a period of not doing it, have recently increased the intensity of exercise, or are trying a new type of exercise.
In medical terms, muscle discomfort and stiffness that happens immediately after physical exercise is called delayed onset muscle soreness or DOMS. This muscle discomfort typically appears within 24-48 hours after exercising with high sufficient intensity. This condition can cause complaints of mild to severe muscle pain, muscle stiffness, aches, slight swelling of the muscles, and temporarily reduced muscle strength.
However, relieving muscle pain can be eliminated without the use of drugs that are consumed. In other words, this treatment can be done outside the body, tiger balm and biofreeze are highly recommended to overcome this.
Causes of Muscle Pain After Exercise
After a physical activity or strenuous exercise, DOMS can take place when the body’s muscle tissue tries to adapt by repairing and growing muscle tissue mass. This reaction is often a standard thing to occur. Though the precise mechanism is unknown, numerous research has concluded that DOMS can happen because of:
- Lactic acid buildup because of muscle metabolism
- Minor muscle injury
- Harm to connective tissue and muscles
- Inflammation in the muscle tissues
- Adjustments in electrolyte and enzyme levels in muscle tissues
Individuals who hardly ever warm-up or don’t warm up well before working out have a high danger of building DOMS.
How To Maintain Muscle Health Is Worth A Try
Maintaining muscle health does not only have to be done by cultivating the body in the gym which costs a lot of money. There are several other tips for maintaining muscle health, such as the following:
1. Maintain Ideal Body Weight
Believe it or not, it turns out that becoming overweight can also be not very good for the muscle overall health. This is because a body weight that is above the normal limit can put greater pressure on the muscles of the body. For that reason, the physique has to operate harder.
It also causes the muscles of the body to become more easily tired and tense up quickly. As a result, you will feel uncomfortable in your muscles when you are on the move. To maintain muscle health, you need to maintain your ideal body weight. The trick, try to live a balanced nutritious diet and limit the intake of foods that are high in saturated fat and cholesterol.
In addition, to avoid one of the causes of this muscle pain, you also need to regularly exercise for at least 30 minutes a day. You can do it at least five times a week. The goal, to burn extra calories that cause weight gain. When your weight is in the normal range, you’re trying to make your muscles less sore and prevent other health problems.
2. Sufficient Water Needs
Lack of water intake can result in impaired absorption of nutrients by the muscles. Your muscles end up unable to absorb the potassium and magnesium needed to maintain electrolyte balance. Lack of water intake, especially after exercise, will make your body tired quickly and cause muscle cramps. Dehydration can also trigger muscle weakness and loss of body coordination.
Therefore, to maintain muscle health, you need to meet the body’s fluid needs every day. One way to meet your body’s fluid needs is to consume at least two liters of water or the equivalent of eight glasses of mineral water. By paying attention to your fluid intake, you are trying to maintain muscle health as well as overall body health.
3. Practicing Correct Posture
One of the causes of muscle pain is the habit of doing the wrong posture, whether standing, sitting, or lying down. If you want to manage pain without using muscle pain medication, try to get into the habit of good posture.
One of the simplest ways to maintain muscle health can be started by correcting your sitting posture. If you are used to sitting hunched over, then it’s time to stop this bad habit. The reason is, the wrong posture will put an additional burden on the bones and muscles so that both of them need to work harder.
When in a sitting position, try to sit up straight while relaxing your shoulders. While driving a car, use the seatback to support your back. When standing, don’t bend over and lean on your knees. Get into the habit of standing straight with relaxed shoulders.