It may sound weird to say, but I like it when my muscles get a little sore after a workout, it lets me know I have worked my muscles enough to build strength.  But if you would like to know how do you relieve sore muscles, there are a few easy things you are able to do.

A lot of people think that they should do a deep stretch before they exercise.  The truth is that if you stretch too deeply while your muscles are tight you can actually do more harm than good.

You can tear muscle fiber which will take a while to repair and you will  miss numerous workouts while you’re recovering.

You can sprain or strain, no they are not the same, and be more susceptible to muscle pulls. 

You do not want to stop exercising while you wait to repair the damage done by incorrect stretching.

While stretching is good for you, it only works well when your muscles are already loose and warm. 

To maximize the effectiveness of stretching do very light warm up moves before you workout and leave the deeper stretches until after you are done.
 
Regardless how much stretching you do it is important to understand that the soreness you feel is from the micro tears you get in your muscles from working them.

When your muscles repair themselves this is how you build them up and make them  stronger, and bigger.  From that viewpoint a little soreness is actually a good thing.

Ease into any new exercise program.  One mistake I have made, is to think that just because I work out and I am fit I can jump into any type of physical activity.  Wrong.  Different activities use different muscles in different ways, so anytime you take on something new, you will probably have some muscle pain. 

When you do have sore muscles try to get some light exercise in while you’re ‘recovering’.  Something simple like going for a walk, or an easy bike ride.  You want to keep your body moving and loose without putting more strain on your already strained muscles.

Initial treatment for these sorts of injuries should consist of icing the affected area for 15 to 20 minutes every hour for the first 24 hours.

Then apply heat to the affected area again for 15 to 20 minutes every hour.  Soaking in a hot tub could also help loosen your sore muscles.

Another relaxing and effective way to relieve the pain of sore muscles is to get a light massage.  This will help by increasing blood flow to the affected areas which will effectively warm the muscles and begin to remove the built up lactic acid…it is this buildup that makes your muscles sore in the first place.

There are also many over the counter creams and ointments that you can apply to help loosen up your muscles and speed up the recovery time.

Follow these simple tips on how do you relieve sore muscles and you will enjoy all your physical activities more as well as enjoying your physical appearance more!