You don’t realize how lethargic you’ve been all winter until summer hits, the bikes are out, soccer starts & you get motivated to go for a run. As awesome as the exercise induced dopamine rush feels, the muscles can sometimes tell a different story.  I just started up slow pitch and despite my winter yoga and dance classes, my thighs are feeling it! Switching up your fitness works muscle groups in totally different patterns and the result is SORENESS. I know right, from slow pitch! So even if you hit the gym through the winter months, when you get out on those river valley stairs or take a hike though the mountains for the first time this summer, chances are the next day you’ll feel some body parts that you forgot you had.

There are a ton of ways to help muscle soreness and speed up recovery in a totally natural way. Some of them are basically just a cover-up but sometime we need that temporary fix to mask some of the pain and get through the day. Then there’s a bunch of other things that will actually assist the body in repairing itself so that it can heal faster making those aches and pains go away before the next game so you can go do it all over again.

Here are some of my recovery go to’s:

1. Legs up the wall… This is a legitimate yoga pose and one of the easiest! Yay! All you have to do is shimmy yourself close to a wall, lay your back on the ground and swing your legs on the wall so your heels are over your hips. If you place a small pillow under your hips it will help to get the most out of this pose. Basically what happens is that gravity allows fluids and exercise accumulated waste/by-products in the legs to be drained back up to the heart. Veins work on a valve system making it hard for them to push blood up to the heart. By flipping our legs in the air, the valves will naturally open helping your body do it’s work to clear out toxins that cause muscle soreness.
2. Arnica Montana homeopathic tablets… not everyone believes homeopathy can work but I say give it a try anyway. Homeopathic tablets are little tiny balls that are supposed to hold the energy of the source they are coming from. This means that they basically benign, however, many people have been using these energy pills based on a like cures like principle to help with thyroiditis, the common cold, colic, ear infections, croup and many many other illnesses. Personally, I have found amazing results with using arnica to recover from car accidents, major sprains, my children’s births, treadmill sprints and more! Homeopathic are also generally regarded as safe to give to infants, pregnant women and the elderly. There really is no risk, it’s either going to do something for you or do nothing and there are no side effects so why not give it a try. I get my arnica tablets right in the natural foods isle at superstore!
3. Magnesium… Sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium all play crucial roles in proper muscle function and repair. The cool part about magnesium is that it can be absorbed really well through the skin and has been showing amazing result in assisting with muscle cramping. You can usually find magnesium creams and oils that can be applied topically at your local health food store. Just rub it on after a work out or game and you’re golden. Magnesium soaks are also great. Epsom salt is naturally high in magnesium although most other salts will have a magnesium content as well. You can soak in your tub at home and receive benefits, but going to a float studio where the salt content of the water is super high is probably where you’ll see the most bang in your recovery speed. If you want to just relax at home, our salt soaks are a great option to help. Magnesium is also found in raw cacao, so don’t feel guilty about grabbing yourself a raw chocolate bar while you’re in the tub. This is our favorite.
4. Root Down… we love this puppy. This natural muscle rub has menthol crystals and peppermint essential oil which gives the muscles a cool tingle. We’ve also included other essential oils that are known for being really anti-inflammatory and capable of relieving topical pain like rosemary, frankincense and palmarosa. We make our balm in a castor oil base to help with lymphatic circulation and infuse the base with arnica flowers to help promote healing from the inside out. This is definitely a cover-up kind of balm but it also has the potential to speed up healing as well.  I have some on my thighs right now since I played tonight!
5. Take Some Mushrooms… no guys, I don’t mean that kind.. There is a whole science to the benefits of mushrooms and each appears to have it’s unique strength in aiding the human body (except, of course, the toxic ones.) Cordyceps mushrooms have been taken by athletes for many years now to aid in sports performance and recovery. This is my favorite mushroom brand. This guys has been studying mushrooms for decades and has an amazing line of mushrooms that he’s developed in their highest potencies. These tablets are basically food making it a low risk chance to relive muscle soreness if you want to try out something new for recovery and performance.

There are definitely many more ways to support the body in recovery but these are absolutely my fist go-to’s. Try them out yourself, either one at a time or combine a few. It feels WAY better to exercise and play summer sports with a body that is ready to go instead of limping from last night’s activities. The longer I sit here, the more I feel my body cramping up, so it’s off to the wall for me with a few arnica tablets under my tongue!

Get out there and enjoy the summer,

Jayleen