It hurts
How to minimize the soreness.
Let’s see where to start, how about a little background. I have learned a ton, trial and error, in the five years of doing high intense workouts, heavy lifting (heavy for me), and still having to live life and go to work. Also my work does requires me to do some physical stuff, just a little.
Everyone gets sore if they push hard enough. Some people get more sore than others. I will try to give you a game plan to make your workouts less sore and more effective. You should be able to take care of yourself, in my opinion you can do it without doctors and other specialists that some times get in the way, we will talk about that later.
Game plan
First and foremost, NO PAIN MEDS! Let me explain, NSAIDS (non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), which are Ibuprofen, naproxen, aspirin. NSAIDS do take away the inflammation or pain but it blunts or slows the healing process. Now just because I didn’t say things like Tylenol, narcotics, or muscle relaxers doesn’t give you a free pass. These take away the pain differently but it still does the same thing and actually could get you hurt if you take one and push past your limits.
Alright let’s get to what you can do. Eat better (anti-inflamation diet, like paleo), fish oil, cool down, stretch or mobilize before and after workouts, ice bath or shower, compression and ice. Let’s break it down. Eat an anti-inflammatory foods, if your body is always fighting your food that you shove down then your muscles get less attention. If you want to take something for inflammation, take fish oil it is a natural and healthy anti-inflammatory. Cooling down, most crossfiters just want to die after each WOD. Resting a little after is fine but you need to get up and move, it helps in getting a jump start on the healing process. Stretching or mobility before and after will help your body find its normal range of motion. If you are stiff before you start working out you will just create more stiffness. Ice bathes or real cold showers, 5-10 minutes, they will reduce the inflammation and the natural rewarming of your tissues will bring circulation and healing to your whole system. Compression clothing is great for sore muscles, with the compression on your swelling muscle the clothes help keep that in check. Ice is great for isolated soreness like your forearms or upper arms. The easiest way, in my opinion, to do this is to grab a ice cube and a paper towel. Massage the area with the ice cube and wipe the melted water off with the paper towel. You can also use a bag of ice. Only go until the area is numb, DO NOT give yourself frostbite.
Try one or more of these things to decrease your soreness. I do a combination of all of them. You will soon find out what works well for you. Doctors and other specialist have their place but if you need to go to a doctor every time you get sore or a massage after every workout that gets expensive and time consuming. Learn to take care of your own stuff.
Here is Brandy at the end of her Ice bath for her legs and Jake and me in compression clothes before and after the WOD. I even sleep in mine sometimes.
