Fitness
The answer is complicated.
A good stretch has always been the go-to prescription for sore muscles.
But do forward folds and bicep stretches actually do anything?
The longer it takes for DOMS to set in the worse it ends up being, Mentus explains.
When youre hurting, its only natural to want to stretch things out.
But theres definitely more the story.
Does Stretching Help With Soreness?
This is often referred to as flushing out your muscles.
All of that said,stretching isnt a magical remedy.
Complete muscle recovery can take up to seven days, whether you stretch or not.
And its also possible you wont evenwantto do a deep stretch, Mentus says.
And this is especially true if you have DOMS.
Gently push your chest forward so that you feel a stretch in the front of your shoulder.
Repeat on the other side.
Runners Lunge
Start on your hands and knees.
Extend one leg behind you with the knee on the ground.
Bring your other foot forward next to your hand on that side.
Standing Forward Fold
Another option is to hinge forward at the waist with a slight bend in your knees.
You should feel a stretch down your hamstrings and calves.
Let your head hang as you reach to the ground to stretch your arms and back, too.
It might feel good to glide through ayoga flowfor a dynamic stretch, too.
Turmericis also a powerful remedy for muscle soreness, Warren tells Bustle.
Alwayshydrate when youre sore.
Studies referenced:
Cleary, M. A.
2006.Dehydration and symptoms of delayed-onset muscle soreness in normothermic men.Journal of athletic training,41(1), 3645.
2011.Stretching to prevent or reduce muscle soreness after exercise.
Cochrane Database Syst Rev.
The inflammatory response to muscle injury and its clinical implications.
2021.Curcumin Improves Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness and Postexercise Lactate Accumulation.
