Many people, hours after they exercise, start to feel sore and stiff. You may feel like this is a good sign, it means you are getting a good workout. For some people this stiffness and soreness causes them to stop exercising because the pain is too much. Maybe you think it isn’t worth it or maybe you think you are doing something wrong. Well, that feeling isn’t a sign of a good workout, it is a sign of a lingering high level of lactic acid in your muscles.
The reason the acid remains in the muscles after strenuous exercise is that too much is produced for your body to deal with. The science of the reaction is important but what is important to you when doing exercise in order to avoid injury due to stiff and sore muscles is how to help getting the lactic acid out of your muscles after exercise. Three things will help you in this instance.
During every exercise one should always be drinking plenty of water. A more hydrated individual is more capable of functioning at higher activity levels such as when exercising. It is important to continue drinking water throughout exercise and to continue to drink water after exercise.
Always remember to stretch before and after your exercise. A big mistake is to say I don’t have time to stretch I need to get done with my exercise and move on to the next task of the day. You must stretch your muscles before and after exercise to avoid injury and increase flexibility.
Muscle compressions will help squeeze the lactic acid from your muscles. After finishing exercise and stretching, spend some time doing compressions (squeezing) on the muscles of you body. If you follow these three important parts of exercise you will feel better and can avoid possible injuries.