Exercise reduces joint pain and helps fight tiredness. Of course, when joints are stiff and painful, the thought of walking around the block or swimming a few laps might seem like too much. There's no need to run a marathon or swim for miles. Even moderate exercise can ease pain and help you stay at a healthy weight.
If your legs are really sore, you'd think that the smartest thing to do would be to sit down and take a load off so that they can have time to heal. While that certainly feels great every now and then, trainers actually recommend that you get up and move around by walking to relieve muscle soreness.
The other benefits to choosing walking to keep active include: You can choose the distance and pace which suits you. Making movement part of your everyday, especially if you are working at home, is recommended to help ease stiffness and help posture. It's a free activity which can be done pretty much anywhere.
"Working out when sore is okay as long as it isn't affecting your movement to the point where it's causing you to compensate and do something in a way that's unsafe," says Dr. Hedt. "Muscle soreness can be a deterrent to exercising, but it's temporary and the more you exercise, the less you should feel it.
Possible causes include a sprain or strain, an infection, medication use, and bites or stings. Muscles stiffness can also be accompanied by pain, cramping, and discomfort. It is usually not a cause for concern and can be treated with home remedies and stretching.
Muscle stiffness often arises after changing exercise routines, overusing muscles, or being physically inactive for long periods of time. Otherwise, muscle stiffness can be caused by an underlying condition, including myopathy, neuromuscular disorders, and neurologic disorders.
Sore muscles after exercise
It can affect people of all fitness levels, particularly after trying a new activity or pushing yourself a bit harder than usual. Usually your muscles will stop aching in 2 to 5 days and you won't need any medical attention.
Lack of movement, overtraining, and accident or injury can all lead to tight muscles. The key is to get at the root cause so you can develop an effective plan to reduce the tension and pain.
Glucosamine, chondroitin, omega-3, and green tea are just a few of them. Glucosamine has been touted as an anti-inflammatory that helps keep the cartilage in joints healthy. Studies have shown some benefit for joint pain, but they are not conclusive. Natural glucosamine levels drop as people age.
As a result, you can experience some amount of pooling of blood and resultant swelling in your ankles, feet, and lower legs when you sit for a long period of time. This swelling can lead to a feeling of stiffness or tightness because excess fluid can impede mobility around the joints and will make muscles feel tight.
It can be due to reduced blood flow, tight muscles and ligaments, fluid pooled in the body's lower extremities, or pins and needles sensations in the feet.
Sitting for long periods of time can cause your blood flow to slow down which may lead to stiffness in your muscles.
A deficiency in magnesium is most likely to cause muscle stiffness because this nutrient is needed to keep muscles flexible and moving efficiently, as well as relaxed.
There are many over-the-counter (OTC) and home remedies to help alleviate joint stiffness, pain, and swelling. One type of OTC medication a person can take is nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which include medications like ibuprofen (Advil), as well as other pain relievers such as acetaminophen (Tylenol).
This is essentially what happens to a lesser degree while you sleep – your joints stiffen from inactivity. Arthritis in your ankles, knees, hips, and the joints in your feet can make for awkward, painful movement when you wake. As with plantar fasciitis, the key is to start slowly and warm up before getting up.
Stock up on these superfoods your next trip to the supermarket! Salmon contains omega-3 fatty acids that can reduce joint pain and shorten the duration of morning stiffness. Bananas and Plantains are high in magnesium and potassium that can increase bone density. Magnesium may also alleviate arthritis symptoms.
Bananas are an easy-to-digest source of complex carbs that can help spike your insulin just enough to drive protein into your muscle and stimulate muscle rebuilding and growth. They're also a great source of the electrolyte potassium, which research suggests may help reduce muscle soreness post-gym.
Bananas are high in magnesium, which helps strengthen bones and alleviate arthritis symptoms. Dark green vegetables, such as spinach and kale, contain iron that helps fight anemia resulting from anti-inflammatory medications.
OTC pain relievers
These pain medications include ibuprofen (Advil®, Motrin®), naproxen (Aleve®) and aspirin. If you're taking other medications, consult your pharmacist before using any OTC pain relievers. If you don't have swelling or inflammation, acetaminophen (Tylenol®) can help with painful joints.
Other ways to help reduce pain and inflammation include exercising, avoiding processed foods (which promote inflammation), reducing stress, not smoking, and getting enough sleep. Wearing a splint or brace on affected joints and seeking physical therapy may also ease your pain and keep you mobile and active.