All of us probably know, some better than others, what it feels like to have sore muscles. Sometimes it’s after a tough workout, a night out in a pair of high heels (hello calves!) or after helping a friend move or redecorate.
And what do many of us do when we are sore? We sit…and we don’t really move. This can actually make our muscles tighter and prolong the feeling of soreness and need for recovery.
Before we talk about my top 6 natural solutions for sore muscles, I want to backtrack a little bit and cover the basics.
What causes sore muscles?
We’re going to focus mainly on sore muscles due to exercise! When we exercise and do resistance training, we get these micro-tears in our muscle fibers because we are actually breaking the muscle down during our workout. After that, our body gets to work at repairing those muscles with quality macro & micro-nutrients and sleep (that’s when the magic happens!). Between the workout and the completion on recovery, lactic acid builds up in the muscles causing that sore feeling.
Another type of muscle soreness is called D.O.M.S. (delayed onset muscle soreness) which is when you’re muscles are super sore 2 days later and/or last for 2-3 days. This just means that you probably pushed your muscles a BIT too far, but you’ll come out stronger for sure!
Here are my TOP 6 Natural Remedies for Sore Muscles (that help with sugar cravings & boosting your metabolism, too!)
1. Foam rolling
I am a HUGE advocate of foam rolling before and after every single workout whether it be in the gym or heading out for a run! It really helps to increase flexibility, mobility, reduce the risk of injury and REDUCE MUSCLE SORENESS! You can grab your foam roller right here and then actually foam roll with me using this YouTube video.
2. Go for a walk or an easy bike ride
Get moving – don’t just sit down on the couch and complain about how sore your muscles are. You don’t need to do hill sprints, but how about going for a walk around the block or a nice and chill bike ride. Keeping your muscles moving will help that lactic acid dissipate and the soreness go away faster! Plus, walking and other low-impact, low-intensity cardio is great to reduce stress hormone and can be a GREAT strategy for fat burning!
3. L-Glutamine
This is the supplement that I have been taking for the longest because of it’s effectiveness and range of benefits from…
- muscle soreness & recovery
- re-building & maintaining the lining of our digestive track
- reduce sugar cravings
- improve digestion
- reduce inflammation (which can lead to weight loss!)
The best source of 100% L-Glutamine on the market is PureGlutacaps from Verovive. You can use my code lunden10 at checkout to save 10% OFF your full order! And feel free to check out these supplements that help balance out the brain chemistry that causes sugar cravings. If you want to add some of those products on your order you can use my code for 10% ALL OF IT!
4. Apple Cider Vinegar with Lemon
Mmmm…this little magic concoction is what I drink every single morning: 1 big glass of room temp water, 1 TBSP apple cider vinegar (with the mother) and then a few drops of doTERRA Lemon Essential oil! Due to its anti-inflammatory and alkalising properties, ACV is so effective at easing sore muscles. PLUS it boosts your metabolism, helps with digestion, detoxifies the liver, purifies the blood and boosts our immune system like crazy!
I love the Bragg’s ACV with the Mother and you can grab the doTERRA Lemon Essential oil right here just click on “Shop”.
Other optional add-ins: turmeric (oil or powder), pinch of cayenne, pinch of cinnamon…
5. Deep Blue Rub
This feels really similar to and Icy Hot or other hot/cold rub. I love Deep Blue Rub beause it’s completely non-toxic and has a propriety blend of essential oils that are sooooo calming, soothing and relaxing. I even use this on my lower back when I have menstrual cramps and gives me great relief.
Get your Deep Blue Rub right here just click on “Shop”.
6. Epsom Salt Bath with Lavender
If you don’t have a bathtub, you can even give yourself a foot bath and let your feet soak up all the magnesium citrate (epsom salt) and Lavendar essential oil. But if you do have a bathtub, fill it up to a nice warm tempurature and then put in a couple scoops of this Epsom Salt infused with Lavender!
This is perfect before bedtime because the Lavender will totally relax you and put you into a deep slumber where your body can completely recover while sleeping! I know a lot of you guys use essential oils, so feel free to add in regular epsom salt and some drops of your Lavender essential oil.
Side note: Did you know that it’s really common for people with gastrointestinal issues to HATE the smell of lavender? I do customized VIP lifestyle transformation coaching using a lot of tools (one of them being essential oils) to help my clients reach their goals and I have seen this happen before. So I just wanted to give you that fact in case it’s interesting for you 🙂 Love the little things natural solutions can teach us about our bodies.