Whats the best way to relieve sore muscles?
-Tami, Winter Park, FL A: Muscle soreness is kind of like a hangover — but instead of booze being the culprit, it’s yesterday’s biceps curls. The day after a tough workout, you have to give your body a break the same way you would after a wild night out with the girls. Post-exercise muscle soreness occurs in the body as a result of inflammation and a buildup of lactic acid — a substance that’s produced when your body metabolizes glucose. It’s a by-product of physical expenditure, much like ashes are to a fire. And there is a direct correlation between how much muscular energy you use and how much lactic acid your muscles produce — so the more time you spend bench pressing, the more of the soreness-inducing substance you’re going to make. You can get relief by doing gentle activities that increase circulation, which delivers fresh oxygen to the sore muscles, easing inflammation and helping expedite lactic acid from your system. Here are five good ways to get your blood pumping.
