Merely-Flawed.comget healthy

Getting back on the road to fitness can be challenging – especially the day after that initial workout when you wake up and realize you can barely move a single muscle in your body. Whether you overexert yourself or merely increase the intensity of your workout, you’re bound to experience occasional post-workout soreness.

Depending on how stiff you are, having painful muscles for even a day or two is not fun. Try skipping common nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen – and their side effects — with these natural pain remedies.

Loosen up with Linseed Oil
Among alternative medicine practitioners, linseed oil (also known as flax seed oil) is known as an effective muscle relaxant. Linseed comes from the flax plant and contains high levels of alpha linolenic acid – an essential fatty acid – that works as a natural anti-inflammatory to control post-workout soreness and stiffness. You can find it easily at local health food stores.

Natural Rx: Whenever you feel sore, massage some linseed oil directly on your joints and let the herbal healing begin.

Java Joe to the Rescue
A couple cups of coffee might be just what the doctor ordered when it comes to stiff muscles. A new study, published in the Journal of Pain, found that moderate doses of caffeine (roughly equivalent to two cups of coffee) cut post-workout muscle pain by almost 50 percent. Researchers say that caffeine likely works by blocking the body’s receptors for adenosine, a chemical released in response to inflammation.

Natural Rx: Take a caffeine supplement an hour before you workout. Researchers say it should not only reduce soreness after workout, but during it as well.

Add a Little Spice
In Chinese medicine, curcumin — the ingredient that gives the Indian spice turmeric its yellow coloring — has long been associated with reducing inflammation. In fact, research suggests that curcumin’s anti-inflammatory properties are similar to that of pharmaceutical drugs such as hydrocortisone, only much safer.

Natural Rx: Look for pills containing 95 percent curcumin and follow the recommended dosing (usually 400 mg, three times per day).

Tart Cherry Juice
It may make you pucker, but drinking tart cherry juice after a tough workout may do the trick to relieve post-workout pain. Declan Connolly, Ph.D., a professor of exercise science at the University of Vermont says, “Tart cherries contain higher amounts of anthocyanins — antioxidants that help repair damage — than sweet cherries and most other fruits or vegetables.” Look for brands that contain 100-percent tart cherry juice or juice concentrate in natural food supermarkets or health food stores.

Natural Rx: If you know you’ve had a particularly intense workout session, drink some tart cherry juice — even if you feel fine initially. Connolly says your tissues may suffer tiny tears that may cause delayed muscle soreness.

Get Moving
It might feel like the last thing you want to do, but fitness experts say you should keep moving after a workout when you feel your muscles tightening up. Studies have shown that moderate exercise releases those “feel good” endorphins in the brain that act as natural painkillers. By continuing to move slowly after a workout, blood flows to the muscle, alleviating pain associated with inflammation.

Natural Rx: Do a scaled-down, milder version of the exercise that caused the pain. Another alternative is to go for a brisk walk or do some light stretches to help your muscles cool down gradually.

Courtesy