Before you can relish in the glory of a slimmer waistline or defined muscles, there are a few obstacles along the way.  Nailing down a new, balanced workout regimen is tough; throw in delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), and it becomes increasingly more difficult to motivate yourself to exercise–or get out of bed.

While muscle soreness is more prevalent in the beginning stages of a new workout routine, nobody is immune to it–even body builders!  So what can you do to push through and continue achieving your fitness goals?

• S  T  R  E  T  C  H- Too many people discount the benefits of stretching.  Especially at the end of a workout, a 10 minute cool-down (light jogging or walking) followed by a good stretch can help break the cycle of soreness.
• Active Recovery - We know that’s not what you or your aching muscles want to hear, but low impact aerobic exercise gets blood flowing to all the right places, diminishing those aches and pains.
• Heat It Up – Applying a heating pad to the affected areas increases blood flow to your sore muscles, which allows nutrients to be delivered for speedy recovery.
• Yoga - Another great way to stretch out your muscles is with a yoga class; although, we recommend a vinyasa flow over the sports/extreme yoga!
• Sport Massage – While stretching is a great method to rid soreness, it is difficult to properly stretch every muscle in the body.  A massage therapist can remedy achy muscles with the touch of a hand; a deep tissue massage pushes lactic acid out of the muscles allowing nutrients to flow in and lessen soreness.

Just remember one thing: this pain WILL pay off with leaner muscles, more strength and stamina!  What do you do to relax and recover after a rigorous workout routine?