Muscle pain after exercise

davholla

Danjames wrote: »

Hi there, sorry I have only just seen this thread. I would recommend you don't use a hot water bottle and actually ice your muscles that are consistently sore. The theory is that the cold shrinks your blood vessels and tendons and the blood from the sore area drains out. When you remove the ice and your vessels return to normal size the muscles are invigorated with 'new blood' carrying fresh oxygen to aid recovery and help it recover faster. it would be interesting to know what swimming you are doing for it to strain yuor muscles so badly? Strokes, number of lengths without stopping and time in the pool?

Normally 400 meters non stop, breatstroke in about 13-14 minutes (I know not very fast).

It is not so bad that I cannot recover or anything, it is just midly irritating.
However the other day I got a groin strain so I will probably change to freestyle.

Danjames

I'm not an expert at swimming but it sounds to me like you are over working your upper body doing the breast stroke as your legs can't be helping that much? I would say that it is probably benefitting you greatly though and although you say you are really sore for four days I would go back after two and do a really gentle swim. This will help ease fatigue and increase blood flow and again aid recovery. As someone else has said though I would spend five minutes every morning stretching all your muscle groups, this increases flexibility and again will help recovery. I would then do the same before bed also. I also find this quite theraputic! Keep going it will get easier.