Relieving Sore Muscles

Lately I’ve been stressed. More so overwhelmed. There has been a lot of stuff going on, and I have found that I have a tendency to let anxiety build. I’ve had my melt downs, days where I don’t feel like getting out of bed, nor do I want to exercise. My body likes to tense up when there’s a lot of conflict going on and getting it back to normal again is lot harder than it seems.

Like most people, my body’s favorite place to carry stress is in my shoulders and neck. I’ve had some days where I feel like I can’t turn my neck at all because of how sore it is. Obviously this isn’t good and when you don’t want to spend a fortune on a professional massage (no matter how nice it sounds), you’re forced to find other ways to relieve the aching muscles. And that’s just what I did!

Techniques I use to relieve sore muscles:

Buy a tennis ball. This one is my favorite! I like to either lay down on a yoga mat or use a wall. Find the sore muscle and roll the tennis ball back and forth over the soreness. A great technique is to find the muscle and stick the tennis ball right over it then lay down. Eventually you’ll feel the muscle relax and let me tell you, it’s the greatest feeling! Two tips: Do not push too hard on the muscle or else you will be extremely sore the next day (trust me). Also, drink a lot of water to flush the toxins out.
Do some yoga. Either go on Pinterest or use google. Type in something along the lines of “yoga for sore muscles.” There’s all kinds of great stretches and poses out there that will help in easing sore muscles.
Relax. Your mind is a powerful thing isn’t it? Mine typically controls how much sleep I get, whether or not I’m going to eat for the day, and the more I dwell, the more tense I become. I have to try very hard to relax my mind, to let things go, and to move on. I’m still in the process of learning that I cannot control how people act, what people say, or what they choose to do. I can however, choose how I deal with everything and what I let come out of my mouth. Sometimes silence is the best answer. Leave your phone someplace where you can’t hear anything. Do something relaxing, such as taking a bath or go on a long walk. After all, relaxing is the first step in preventing unwanted muscle soreness.
Workout. Do something to get your heartbeat up. It’s been proven that exercise can help aid in reducing stress. I’ve said it time and time again, but after I go for a run, I feel so much better. Sometimes getting a little blood pumping really helps in keeping stress levels down.
Ask your spouse for a massage. It’s not often but sometimes Kevin and I like to give each other massages. It’s not professional, but hey, it’s free! We like to turn the Netflix fireplace on our TV, I’ll light some candles, and turn the lights off. It creates a very relaxing environment. We always sleep like babies after massages. Plus it makes for some good husband and wife bonding time.
Use a heating pad. This is pretty self explanatory. Before bed, I’ll sometimes lay on a heating pad to temporarily relieve the muscle soreness. It usually helps just enough so I can drift off into a peaceful sleep.