What are stiffness? Surely you will know that the stiffness appears after performing physical exercise, more or less intense, especially if you are not used to sports practice. Stiffness usually manifests itself in the form of mild muscle discomfort that, in some cases, can become painful but do you know what soreness is exactly?
Stiffness is a micro break experienced by muscle fibers during the effort of exercising. These do not represent any danger to health; however, they can be very annoying and even painful. Wondering how to remove the stiffness? Take note, because in the following article of. we explain what to take for leg stiffness and we offer you some tips to combat them in less time.
Fruit juices and smoothies
If you wonder how to combat stiffness with home remedies quickly, forget it, because there are no miracle remedies for stiffness. However, there are certain foods that, due to their properties, can help you disappear these discomforts in less time.
This is the case of the fruit, full of vitamins and minerals perfect to stimulate your recovery. On the one hand, natural fruit juice will help you promote hydration, something fundamental for the good condition of muscles and joints, but on the other hand, fruit juices will help you replenish the minerals lost during sports practice, thus making you feel better.
We cannot forget that fruits such as pineapple or papaya are incredible natural anti-inflammatories, so nothing better to add them to your juice after each workout.
Chamomile and thyme
As we have already seen, there are no miracle foods, but if you want to know what is good for stiffness you must take into account the infusion of chamomile or thyme. Both medicinal plants have great soothing and anti-inflammatory properties that will help relieve muscle discomfort after an exercise session.
You can buy chamomile infusions and thyme infusions on Amazon to get all its benefits and do it at the best price. Another option that we give you from a is to apply a compress soaked with the infusion in the affected area. You'll notice the relief quickly!
Dark chocolate
Did you know that with an ounce of chocolate you can reduce exercise fatigue but also cramps and stiffness? Dark chocolate is a source of magnesium, a very beneficial mineral to promote the correct muscle contraction-relaxation.
To discover a complete list of the Benefits of Dark Chocolate, check out this other article!
Analgesics
How to remove very painful stiffness? If you want to learn what to take for leg stiffness, nothing better than painkillers. To do this, from omethoate we advise you to approach your trusted pharmacy to be prescribed a specific medication to minimize discomfort.
Ointments with analgesic effect, for example, are the most beneficial, since they do not have contraindications and will make you feel better in a few applications.
Cayenne infusion
Another of the best foods for stiffness is cayenne, a natural analgesic of the most beneficial for health due to its content in capsaicin, a substance that works on the neurotransmitter cells of pain. Wondering how to remove cayenne laces?
Prepare a glass of hot water and drop some cayenne pepper (a pinch will suffice). Let it soup for a few minutes, then add a tablespoon of honey to improve its flavor. Ready!
Sugar water: does it work?
We have all heard of sugar water for stiffness, a very easy home remedy to make that, they say, can help with muscle recovery through the intake of simple carbohydrates, that is, direct energy, for the body.
But is that true? Does sugar water work for stiffness? The quickest response is that it doesn't work. Drinking a glass of water with a tablespoon of sugar could be very useful if stiffness were an energy problem, but the truth is that they are not.
Those who defend this remedy say that drinking water with sugar dissolves the lactate crystals that form in our muscles when we exercise and that crystallize, producing punctures and pain. However, the truth is that there is no relationship between lactic acid and stiffness; this does not crystallize at any time and is not the cause of these discomforts.
Other tips to combat stiffness
The best way to fight against stiffness is to try not to appear, and for this you must put into practice three basic principles:
- Always do a good warm-up before starting, as we teach you in this article on How to do a leg warm-up.
- Increase the intensity of the exercise always progressively
- Finish the exercise with stretching. In this other link of. we explain how to stretch to avoid injuries.
However, from a we want to provide you with other fundamental tricks if you wonder how to combat stiffness quickly.
Contrast shower
If you have started or resumed your workouts and the first few days you have moderate stiffness, try massaging your legs by directing the warm water on them at the time of the shower. Make the movements from the ankles to the knees or the upper thighs and finish the process with fresher water to reactivate circulation and help reduce discomfort and inflammation.
Massages with essential oils
From we propose you to make ginger oil or sweet marjoram (or both!), as they are ingredients full of analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties of the most beneficial for the muscles. Do a gentle massage on your legs with these ingredients and let them penetrate to the muscles. If you need help making these oils naturally, don't miss this article on How to Make Homemade Ginger Oil.
Active rest
If you are wondering how to remove stiffness, you should know that moderate exercise can be beneficial as long as it does not increase the pain. For example, if you have stiff legs after running, it is best to alternate the necessary rest with a short walk walking at a gentle pace. Remember that being in the couch all day without moving will not accelerate your recovery.
Hot bottle
Another good trick to eliminate stiffness is to fill a bottle or canteen with hot water to relieve discomfort. Roll the bottle around the affected area, giving a light massage with each pass, and you will see how you manage to relax the muscles.