How to Soothe Muscle Pain

For a Cozy Cool

Here’s a great DIY ice pack: Take a regular sponge (not the scrubbing variety), and soak it in a mixture of half water, half rubbing alcohol—or even vodka. Place it in a Ziploc bag and freeze. Since alcohol doesn’t freeze completely, the sponge will stay flexible and comfortably mold around your achy spots. If you want, freeze multiple sponges: When one gets warm, you’ll have a readymade replacement in the freezer.

Drink Up to Stop Stiffness

If you find you’re often stiff after exercising, you probably just need more water. Dehydration is a major cause of post-exercise muscle soreness. Drinking water regularly while you work out should keep water levels high enough to combat pain.

Prep for Workouts with Caffeine

Not only will coffee offer a quick boost in energy and endurance during a workout, it can also prevent pain afterward. Several studies have shown that consuming caffeine an hour before exercising results in less muscle pain and soreness post-workout. Test subjects took a dose of caffeine equal to about two cups of coffee, but even one cup o’ joe can make a difference!

Cherries: An All-Natural Pain-Reliever

To combat muscle pain and inflammation due to exercise, swap the chemical-laden sports drinks for some tart cherry juice. Montmorency cherries are loaded with anti-inflammatory powers—more than any other food! They can be just as effective for pain and swelling relief as ibuprofen and other OTC anti-inflammatories, without damaging your stomach, heart, or kidneys like those drugstore staples. Try one cup of cherry juice or one-and-a-half cups of fresh tart cherries per day.

Just Add Spice

An ancient Indian spice found in curry, turmeric has been used for ages to treat muscle pain and joint inflammation, as well as problems related to digestion, circulation, and skin conditions. To incorporate the spice into your diet, sprinkle some into soups, stews, or rice dishes for all the health benefits plus added flavor.

The Ever-Versatile VapoRub

This beloved menthol cream is a wonderful multi-use drugstore item. Although marketed for its powers of decongestion, VapoRub’s combo of camphor and menthol is ultra soothing for your muscles too. Just rub some ’Rub on your achy parts and let the minty-fresh balm get to...

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