Health Dept Magazine Health Dept Magazine

1. Memory Thompson
   August 24th, 2011 - 10:45

   You can’t, it’s part of becoming stronger, and that is what you have to do in order to become a better gymnast, and more importantly, being strong prevents injuries! But you won’t always be so sore! In the meantime, hot bath then stretch immediately after while the muscles are still warm (also helps with flexibility). I used to live in Icy Hot! Once (after a rare break) I was so sore on returning to the gym that I rubbed Icy Hot all over my legs, then wrapped them in saran wrap, in order to continue working out with sore muscles! But I suggest you use heat/ice heat for 30 min/ice for 30 min, continue to work on conditioning at the gym and at home, stretch with Icy Hot on the sore muscles, stretch legs while doing homework, watching TV, anytime you can!, massage the sore muscles as much as possible, take a anti-inflammatory if it is really bad (such as Advil, but watch your stomach, Advil is hard on the stomach), and remember you won’t always be so sore! You will be STRONG!
2. Idgaf
   August 24th, 2011 - 10:45

   take a hot bath in epsom salt. It helps :)
3. brizzo
   August 24th, 2011 - 10:45

   Stay hydrated, stretch before and after and throughout the day, and take an anti-inflammatory (ie Tylenol, ibuprofen, or aleve. )
4. Katrina
   August 24th, 2011 - 10:45

   Stretch after your workout (I’m sure your coaches make you after conditioning but once you get home do it again) and massage your muscles each night before you go to bed to help loosen them up. You could also use a muscle cream while you massage your muscles.
5. Douglas B
   August 24th, 2011 - 10:45

   All that training has caused your muscles to go tight, like making a fist tight, so that the blood isn’t circulating the way it should. To get rid of the pains you would have to free up all the muscles in your body and the pains would be gone. As there are just too many to list them all here’s two interesting ones, one is for the achilles tendon which will free up your calf muscle at the same time and one for under your foot to release that muscle and the back ones for they are so much of the body:
   Achilles tendon:
   While sitting and your leg on your lap, take both thumbs and place them side by side at about ankle height on the tendon on the back of your leg and apply pressure hard and hold. After 30 seconds slowly raise your toes up as far as you can, release the pressure but hold your foot there for another 30 seconds.
   Foot Muscle:
   With your foot in your lap place your fingers side by side at the back of the arch right in front of the heel and press in hard and hold. After 30 seconds slowly raise the front of your foot up as far as you can, release the pressure but hold your foot there for another 30 seconds.
   Back:
   (do from a sitting position)
   Place your left hand on your left leg next to your body. Place your right hand over your left shoulder, fingers over the back and the palm in the front and firmly pull down on them and hold. After 30 seconds slowly lower your body forward and to the outside of your left leg, keeping your left arm fairly straight as you do. When you reach your lap remain there for another 10 seconds, release the pressure but rest there for another 30 seconds. Then reverse your hand positions and do your right side. For all- for best results relax your body first by taking a deep breath and exhaling then remain this relaxed.
6. John
   August 24th, 2011 - 10:45

   Sigh… Too many Bs answers with the obvious stated. Yes you should stretch before and after. But being sore means your muscles are recovering and getting stronger. Being sore kinda sucks sometimes but it is a very very good thing. If you weren’t sore, that would mean your muscles are not growing and becoming stronger. The longer you continue gymnastics, you start to notice you get less and less sore and then not altogether after time. Most importantly, however, you absolutely NEED to give yourself rest days. It is the only way your muscles heal and get stronger.

   No rest = no results.
7. upsidedowngirl
   August 24th, 2011 - 10:45

   ~Stretch before and after
   ~eat lots of protein so you muscles can rebuild after the workout
   ~cold bath (ice) helps me a lot, and if you cant take the cold, sometimes Icing the sore muscles helps a lot.
   ~ also whenever we are sore at gymnastics, my coach always says that the cure to soreness is more conditioning. so if our legs hurt. we do more leg conditioning to get us "un-sore". it usually helps at the time, but makes us more sore the next day.
8. Gymnast4Eva
   August 24th, 2011 - 10:45

   take a hot bath or hot shower
   2. stretch well at conditioning
   3. go on your knees stretch ur arms out and lay down for 2 min
9. Val Poxleitner
   August 24th, 2011 - 10:45

   Condition in moderation, and when you are done training take an ice bath. It also relives you of stress. The key is to not overdo your training, because you will strain your muscles and you will be alot less sore if you condition in moderation.

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