There’s nothing quite like the feeling of post-workout soreness for an avid athlete. It’s the feeling of pure victory and muscle gains just waiting to happen, but it can nonetheless make your life difficult. Suddenly, an innocent flight of stairs seems more strenuous that your entire week of training, and you finally understand why so many people skip leg day.

On the other end of the spectrum, stiff, sore muscles may be the key thing that will prevent a newbie at the gym to go back to their training, out of sheer panic to go through such misery again. In any case, no matter your fitness level or your lifestyle preferences, there’s so much you can do to naturally soothe your sore muscles and ease yourself into your next training session!

Soak in minerals

The very idea of a warm bath after an arduous workout seems like the perfect remedy, right? However, a bubble bath on its own can’t to that much for sore muscles, unless you reinforce it with a bit of magnesium. This powerful mineral is the most effective method used both by professional and recreational athletes to heal stiff, painful muscles.

For best effect, pour Epsom salts into your bathtub, mix with warm water, and you can add a few drops of your favorite essential oil for an even more relaxing experience. Rest assured, this soaking session will take all your troubles away, and help your muscles and your joints recuperate.

Treat yourself to a massage

Whether you’ve wrapped up a few weeks of serious training, or you’re dealing with aches and pains that are exasperated not only by your training routine but by your sedentary lifestyle – an hour of professional massage should do the trick. Book a sports massage with your nearby therapist and brace yourself for a somewhat painful, but surprisingly refreshing experience.

If you don’t have the time or the funds to treat yourself to a massage, then self-myofascial release is another excellent way. You can use a lacrosse ball, or a foam roller, and perform the self-massage in your own home, whenever you feel uncomfortable after your workout.

Turn to Mother Nature

Many professional athletes swear by it, and a large number of countries is striving to make it available to those who need it – marijuana has long been known to help with a variety of aches and pains, and those who lead an active life know how helpful it can be. The entire world has taken notice when Canada legalized its recreational use (in limited amounts, of course), while you can already find medical marijuana in Las Vegas through their local dispensaries.

Opt for a strain that contains the right cannabinoids (cannabidiol, or CBD) which will not cause that proverbial high. It is known to help your body reduce inflammation, which is at the root of your sore muscles, ease the pain, and help prevent muscle spasms. The beauty of it is, you can choose a wide variety of different ways to consume it, from edibles, to concentrated liquid extract, if it’s legal in your country of residence, of course.

Take a cool shower

Sometimes the simplest solutions may yield to greatest results. In this case, taking a quick, alternate shower with hot and cold water can help you soother your inflamed muscles. The alternating temperatures help boost your microcirculation, and the cold alone is more than enough to soothe any inflammation if you can handle such a temperature change.

If you’d like to target specific muscle areas of your body, you can skip the shower, but use ice cubes and place them on the sore areas for approximately 15-20 minutes several times per day.

Move it, move it

Of course, every effective fitness plan has those much-needed rest days incorporated in the schedule. You may long for those two or three days per week when you’re not rushing to the gym, and you’d gladly just lie down and forget all about those tense muscles. However, while rest is essential, you can incorporate the notion of active recovery into your workout regime.

Simply put, including mild activities such as walking, yoga, or stretching, can help you activate your muscles just enough to increase blood flow in the sensitive areas, boost microcirculation and aid in quicker recovery.

These methods are not only a great solution for sore muscles, but they are generally a great addition to any fitness routine to boost recovery and help achieve optimal physical performance in your next workout. You can use them to prevent sore muscles, joints, and connective tissue, relax, improve your sleep quality, and of course, reach your fitness goals more efficiently than ever.

Scarlet is a passionate writer and a regular contributor at highstylife.com interested in fashion, lifestyle, and health. She loves traveling, you could say that she is a real travel addict, especially when she has a chance to visit some exotic destinations. She would tell you that inspiration can be found in the most unexpected places.