Important tips for dealing with muscle soreness

The days are lighter longer. Spring, even in the Upper Peninsula, may be just around the corner. This is just the motivation that you may need to get some outdoor exercise. And of course you can pick up right where you left off in the Fall. Right? If this is your premise, you may experience muscle soreness. Overworking your muscles causes tiny tears in the muscle fibers. This causes the muscles to swell, and this swelling-along with the waste products that result from muscle breakdown - cause soreness. Of course, the best cure is to avoid overdoing it in the first place. But human nature being what it is, here are 7 after-the-fact tips to help you overcome muscle soreness. • If you know you've overdone it, take a cold (yes) COLD shower, bath, or swim as soon as possible. Racehorses get this treatment, too. Or, if a cold

shower isn't your thing, apply an ice pack to your muscles for 20-30 minutes every hour. Cold constricts (closes) the blood vessels and keeps the blood away from the injured muscles, which reduces the inflammation. • Avoid heat for the first 24 hours. Applying heat to sore muscles within the first 24 hours can increase muscle soreness and stiffness. Heat causes the blood vessels to dilate(open), which causes fluid to accumulate, resulting in swelling.

• Take anti-inflammatory medication such as aspirin or ibuprofen, unless you are allergic to them, or have another condition that prevents you from taking them. Always follow label directions. • Do gentle stretches, or go for a walk or a swim. Getting some light exercise the day after intense exercise helps move waste products out of the muscle and into circulation, and ultimately toward excretion. • Use massage carefully. A gentle massage one or two days after overdoing it increases blood circulation and promotes healing. However, massaging your muscles too soon or too vigorously can increase soreness. • Listen to your body. Pain is your body's way of telling you that you overdid it. Remember, you don't need to feel pain to get results. Start slowly and build up gradually to keep involved in your exercise program.

Inside this Issue Nutrition talk..............2 Sleep Awareness........3 Fitness tips..................3 Word Search...............4

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