Taking care of stiff and sore muscles
LAST week I spoke about muscle soreness and stiffness and following on from that here are some tips for good muscle health.
Some common causes of muscle pain can include a deficiency of magnesium which I spoke about last week. This is easily remedied through diet and supplements if needed.
Lack of hydration is something that we can forget about when it comes to muscles. Lack of hydration can contribute to muscle pain, cramps, and spasms. Coffee can leach minerals from the body, in particular calcium and magnesium, both of which are important for muscle health. So don’t count coffee as your fluid intake.
If you do a lot of exercise there may be a buildup of lactic acid which can contribute to pain. A useful supplement to help alleviate lactic acid build up is Montmorency cherries. Many sports people use it to help recovery and for muscle strength. It’s available in juice or capsules.
Vitamin D is considered an important vitamin for bone and muscle health, and is particularly important for those of you cocooning. Less physical exercise can affect muscle strength and mobility. 27% of people over 70 who are cocooning may be deficient in vitamin D according to the recent research by Trinity College.
If your diet is overly acidic this can contribute to inflammation and pain. Some foods that can help keep the balance right include green leafy vegetables, Montmorency cherries, bone broth, apple cider vinegar, and barley grass.
Home remedies include essential oil massage; you may have lavender or chamomile. Simply add a couple of drops of your chosen oil, (you can use both) to olive oil or grapeseed oil and massage into the sore muscles.
Try an apple cider vinegar blend. Combine 1 tbsp. of apple cider vinegar, 1 tbsp. molasses, and 1 tsp. honey to 8-10oz water and sip.
Drink plenty of water and eat a balanced diet favouring alkaline foods. Remember to warm up, and stretch before and after exercise. And also remember to stretch out the legs if your job involves a lot of sitting around.
I hope these tips will help.