How to Deal when Feeling the Burn after a Workout Isn't a Good Thing ...

By Allison

How to Deal when Feeling the Burn after a Workout Isn't a Good Thing ...

Ever wonder how to deal when feeling the burn after a workout? Whether it's a sore butt during your spin class, post-run chafe, or achy wrists during a downward-facing dog yoga pose, there's a chance that your favorite workout comes with a side of ouch. The start of your workout feels amazing, you're having fun, and you hit a point where you're in pain--but no pain, no gain, right?! According to Women's Health, here's how to fight the workout hurt.

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1

Add a Little Extra Padding to My Bike Seat

human action, leisure, vehicle, muscle, endurance sports, “Many spin studios offer a padded seat option, and I live by it to help decrease—or completely eliminate—the pelvic pain most women get after class.” —Lauren Lorow, 27, New York City

2

Lube up Everywhere to Avoid Chafing

human action, person, structure, room, muscle, “I generously apply Body Glide on various parts of my body before almost every run—especially long runs or on particularly hot, humid days. My danger zones are my inner thighs, my underarms, and my underboob area.” —Julie D., 31, Raleigh, North Carolina

3

Oil up Your Legs

clothing, image, person, thigh, girl, “After a long day on my feet, including running and practicing muay thai, my legs are pretty beat. So at night, I throw on some arnica oil after my workout and shower. I like Weleda Arnica Massage Oil. Just use a thin layer and massage it onto your legs. You’ll be happy you did.” —Isang Smith, 29, New York City

(Stretch it out post-sweat sesh with Women’s Health’s With Yoga DVD!)

4

Cut a Hole in Your Shoe Inserts

footwear, shoe, arm, leg, fashion accessory, “The bottom of my foot used to always go numb a couple of miles into every single run. I didn’t think there was a solution until a runner friend told me her trick: cutting a circle out of the middle of your shoe inserts for the ball of your foot to rest in. Just make sure you’re planning to keep the inserts before hacking into them—you can’t return them to the store that way. I may have learned that one the hard way.” —Meghan Conroy, 32, Los Angeles

5

Get Massages on the Reg

hair, hairstyle, arm, long hair, leg, “During marathon training, my entire body tends to feel pretty beat down. I’ve learned that going to a fancy spa is nice, but going to see an actual sports massage therapist makes a world of difference. They find ways to dig into your muscles in a hurts-so-good way. I always walk away from the table feeling like a new—slightly beat up, but much happier—runner.” —Sasha L., 24, New York City

Famous Quotes

If you would take, you must first give, this is the beginning of intelligence.

Laozi
6

Push through the Tips of Your Fingers during Yoga

leisure, martial arts, sports, physical fitness, yoga, “When I started doing yoga more than, uh, once a month, I started to feel a lot of pain and achiness in my wrists. My yoga teacher told me that’s because I wasn’t pressing through my whole hand during downward-facing dog. By pushing all the way through my fingertips, including my first and second knuckles, there was less pressure pushing down directly on my wrists. I haven’t had sore wrists since—and my crow pose has never gone higher.” —Amelia C., 28, Boston

7

Count to 100

human action, active undergarment, clothing, brassiere, pink, “I hate running interval workouts, but I know they make me faster and stronger, so I do them. But they always hurt. My lungs burn and I often feel like I’m going to vomit. My trick for staying in the interval is counting to 100. If I’m doing a 400-meter sprint, I’m usually finishing right around the time I reach 100. It makes the time go by faster and gives my mind something to do instead of thinking about the pain.” —Amy C., 28, Santa Monica, California

8

Make Sure You're Actually Breathing

human action, clothing, person, lady, girl, “I used to get side-stitch cramps during every run I went on. I remember reading somewhere that those cramps are often caused by irregular or erratic breathing. So now, if I feel a cramp coming on, I focus on keeping my breath even—breathing in and out in equal amounts, and keeping it controlled.” —Courtney H., 30, Hoboken, New Jersey

How do you deal when feeling the burn after a workout? What are your favorite tips? Let us know in the comments!

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