Good pain or bad pain: That is the question. Sometimes it can be hard to tell the difference. “Strength training causes micro tears in the muscles which can make them feel tight,” says Eric Smith, MSPT, physical therapist at the Therapy and Sports Center in Riverview, Florida. And while devices and tools that provide deep tissue massage can cause discomfort, “they get the blood flowing in the affected area, which helps it heal,” Smith says. Cold compression therapy, in the form of ice and gels, can also ease post-workout pain by reducing blood flow and decreasing inflammation.
Ready to get some relief? These recovery tools may initially cause a little grief but they’ll make you feel less sore and enable you to get back to your next workout faster. So, c’mon baby, make it hurt so good!
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