By: Rhys Geske, Personal Trainer
Do you wake up in the morning and feel sometimes like Tin Man on The Wizard of Oz? If you haven’t seen The Wizard of Oz I highly suggest you stop reading this and rent that classic movie now!
Muscle soreness and stiffness can be brought on by multiple factors, i.e., lifting weights, just beginning a new program, starting a new sport season, running, poor nutrition, lack of sleep, stress and even high anxiety.
To combat DOMS, or delayed onset muscle syndrome, it’s important to incorporate proper recovery tactics in your arsenal of training. Types of various recovery methods are: foam rolling, stretching, ice, nutrition, proper foot wear, massage, heat packs and even steam rooms to just name a few. I want to touch on the first one – foam rolling!
I must admit, I wasn’t giving it a chance. My massage therapist swore by the foam roller and I was always battling some type of muscle tightness/soreness. Okay, I’ll give this “slow painful, ugly, torture, yet free, massage therapist device” a chance. For 45 days and counting I have been daily foam rolling my legs. They feel great and I can walk without them feeling like cement pillars! It took around day 15 before I started noticing how little it hurts anymore to foam roll. My massage therapist was right again as she told me the more I do it, the less it hurts.
Icing is great to diminish inflammation. Static stretching or holding a pose for 20-30 seconds helps with elasticity and flexibility of the muscles. Strawberries contain natural inflammatory properties. Changing out your running shoes every 500 miles really does help. Courts Plus offers yoga classes that can help relieve some stress out of your life.
These are just some tips and tricks that I personally do that help me out. Again, find what works for you and as long as you’re staying active and moving… well, just as the saying goes “a body in motion, tends to stay in motion”.
If you have questions about nutrition or need some guidance to match your fitness routines to your healthy nutritious lifestyle, reach out to me to set-up a free consultation. I would love to assist you to meet your goals. Visit our website for more information.
Education: National Personal Training Institute, North Dakota State University with a B.S. in Speech Communication and Minor in Mass Communication
Certifications/Memberships: NSCA Certified Personal Trainer, NSCA Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist, IKFF Kettlebell Instructor
