Three Ways to Beat Soreness

It’s a common myth that soreness means you’re getting stronger or building muscle. This is incorrect. You do not have to be sore from your workout for it to be an effective workout. However, if you work out long enough and hard enough, you’re bound to have some days when you feel sore. Here are the top three best ways to prevent and/or get rid of that soreness according to science and personal experience. 

Sleep More

Soreness is small tears in your muscle fiber. That’s why it’s uncomfortable! You need to let those muscles recover properly. Deep sleep is when muscles recover best. Making sure to get eight hours of sleep every night will make those muscles recover fast. Leaving you feeling like yourself in no time.

More Sleep = More Deep Sleep = Better Recovery = Less Soreness

Eat More

Similarly to sleep, those muscle fibers need enough fuel and energy to rebuild themselves. While it’s obviously okay to eat in a calorie deficit and resistance train, this is one of many good examples of why you should not eat extremely low calories. Making sure you are eating enough protein and calories gives your muscles the building blocks they need to recover faster than ever before.

Very Low Calories + Hard Training = Slower Recovery and More Soreness.

Move More

This feels counterintuitive. However, sometimes the best thing for sore muscles is to get up and move around. When we are sore, we’re super stiff.

Next time you’re sore try this:

• Go for a walk

• Knockout some air squats

• Do some leg swings or arm circles

These are sure fire ways to loosen up stiff muscles and feel a tad bit better. Think “gentle movement, not punishment.”

Honorable Mentions

Stretching and sitting in the sauna are two good ways to get rid of some soreness. At least in the short term. 

Both stretching and sitting in the sauna are only honorable mentions because they are not long-term fixes like sleeping, eating protein, and increasing movement.

You may feel better for an hour or two, but if you’re not doing the big three correctly, the soreness will come back.

What not to do

Hey, who am I to judge…

If you want to be sore more often and stay sore longer do this (and if you don’t, avoid this):

• Skipping meals or going long periods without eating

• Eating very low protein compared to other macros

• Staying out late, drinking alcohol, and waking up early

• Sitting, laying down, or staying sedentary all day

Recovery doesn’t happen accidentally. It’s built (or sabotaged) by daily habits.

The Bottom Line

Soreness isn’t a badge of honor, but it’s sometimes part of the game.

You don’t need to chase it, fear it, or ignore it.
Just support your body so it can bounce back faster.

Sleep more. Eat more. Move more.

Consistently doing these three things will do way more than any supplement, hack, or gadget.

Miss last weeks post? Check it out here.

10 Ways to Eat More Fiber 

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