InFlammation!

Exercise: activity requiring physical effort, carried out esp. to sustain or improve health and fitness. Seems simple, right? Jump on a bike, assume the plank position, crawl across the pool, turn some cartwheels, don the running shoes, handle the bars, or take your dog for a walk. It's all fun and games until sore muscles kick in. Is the soreness worth the serenity? You bet, but it is important to know why your muscles get sore and how to lesson the pain in order to get back on the horse or treadmill or yoga ball.

Let's start with muscle movement: adduction and abduction;  flexion and extension; rotation and circumduction.  The human skeleton is strapped with muscles in a way that allows a range of motion limited only by muscle and tendon length, strength and vulnerability.  All muscles are connected, although groups of muscles can be isolated during exercise.  When one group of muscles is worked and others neglected, a size imbalance occurs and vulnerabilities in the system develop.  Equally true, when one action, say adduction, is exercised more often than abduction, muscle and tendon lengths will vary and vulnerabilities will occur.  

When muscles are taxed, they tear or break down.  The body then creates more muscle tissue from amino acids and other nutrients within the body and fills the gaps to lengthen the muscle or build the muscle for strength.  During exercise oxygen in the body decreases and muscles are then used to boost energy by an anaerobic process during which muscle cells produce lactate.   The acidity within the muscle cells then increases. The long and short of it is when you exercise you over use muscle tissue and the process causes pain, both immediate pain that alerts the body stop and recover, an delayed pain referred to as DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness).   

Inflammation is the root of the problem but can be treated in a number of ways.  Water.  Plant based foods (skip animal based foods for they cause inflammation within the body as well).  Sleep.  Message.  Cold compress.  Patience.  Education.  A series of soothing stretches that cover all muscle movements might be the best medicine for a sore muscle structure.  All of these treatments are great after work-out remedies.  Eating fueling, reparative foods before your workout is also good practice.  (Men, this is a better source of information for you.)  A cup of black coffee, a bowl of real oatmeal with bananas, a glass of water and an orange are great an hour before any work out no matter what gender you are!

Eat real food, drink plenty of water, give your vitamins their vitamins and remember to wash your hands.  Then Go get your Work-Out On!

Anna~

Need a source for anti-inflammatory foods?  Check this out!