Dr. Coop’s Physical Therapy Center at your service!
It is two days after I both tried and posted the Psycho Saturday Workout and I am currently laying in bed while Cooper naps, typing this and trying not to move because my muscles are still sooo sore! Now, I have done each one of those exercises in the past however, the combination, plus the reps and speed of the workout was new to me and therefore destroyed me.
It probably did not help that the dojo where I partake in these nasty little gems had been closed the week before and that I was on vacation giving my muscles time to atrophy a bit. Now, I am not trying to complain, I actually like the feeling of sore muscles. This type of soreness makes me feel accomplished and proud because I know my body is. BUT at some point today, I really need to pick up Cooper, put on a bra, and pick up his toys. Bending, lifting, and arm movements are just not happening right now.
So here are my tips (that I am going to take into account myself) to getting out of this state of semi-paralyzation and to feeling good (so I can repeat this cycle ASAP). Go big or go home!
1. Active Recovery
Yes, I was sore yesterday but I decided to suck it up and enjoy Color Me Rad. I also hit the gym for some EASY elliptical and abs. These types of easy exercise promote circulation which helps your body get blood flow to your muscles to repair the tissue. A short, easy jog or elliptical workout can help a lot.
What I did not do was lift. I did not work my legs, arms, or back. This type of training could result in overtraining and injury
2. Topical Ointments
Hey if it works Shaq it will work for me! I try to stay away from the icy/hot though and stick with Tiger Balm.
Tiger Balm is my favorite of all muscle soothing creams. They tout their product as “The time-proven blend of herbal ingredients in Tiger Balm provides safe and effective topical pain relief without the pills for sore muscles, arthritis, neck and shoulder stiffness, and just about any other minor muscle or joint aches or pains that may come your way.”
I often get shoulder cramps while running and have found that massaging it into my shoulder helps both during and after my runs. I am going to be straight with you though, it doesn’t smell any better than any of the less natural brands. It is an assault on your nose so apply sparingly and not in your bedroom!
3. Rest
Easy! Do what I am doing, just blog and lay in the comfort of your AC and bed. Babies, mommies, and muscles all need to rest once and awhile! But try not to stay too sedentary for too long it just stiffens everything up even more.
4. Stretch
I find a lot of times taking time off and doing a gentle yoga class or DVD helps workout the kinks and loosen everything up, so I am ready to hit the gym in no time.
5. Foam Rolling
When Cooper allows me to use the foam roller (it is his new favorite toy, see ya toothbrush) I find it helps me work everything out. The foam roller is kind of like the poor man’s massage. It is not as quite as effective as a massage but it is close and very cost effective. It is very easy to use and helpful to soft tissue. All you do is roll it around major muscle groups and look for tender spots and apply pressure for 30-60 seconds. There are different foam densities for different levels of pressure people are looking for and really helps get you back in the game faster.
I like this link for different exercises: http://runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=9911
Good luck and have fun workin’ and stretching it out!