Have you ever exercised or played a sport and after you felt sore? Well, you are in luck because there are ways to prevent soreness after exercising! You can do things such as stretching, staying moving, and eating healthy.

Stretching 

A good way to prevent pain when exercising/playing a sport is stretching before and after you exercise. Before you exercise or participate in a sport you should stretch for at least 5-10 minutes. Stretching will get your

muscles, ligaments, and joints loosened up which will prevent soreness after your workout. This will, in general, prepare your body for a good workout. Some good stretches before a workout include toe touches, shoulder stretches, butterfly stretches, knee to chest, calf stretches, etc. It is also important to stretch after your exercise. This will cool down your body and relieve tightness in your muscles. Some good stretches for post-workout include cobra pose, lunges, and quad stretches. Another way you can stretch your muscles is by using a foam roller. A foam roller can loosen your muscles and release pain from sore muscles. 

Stay moving

An important factor of exercising is to stay moving, even when you feel sore. If your body is sore you should still do light exercises to get your muscles moving. You can take it easy while you are sore, but even light exercises will get your body moving to ease the pain. Something as simple as a walk or jog around your neighborhood or park can loosen your muscles, so you can go back to exercising normally.

Diet

A healthy diet is important when you play sports and/or work out. A healthy diet should include fruits and vegetables, protein, carbohydrates, and grains. Fruits and vegetables will give you the vitamins, minerals, and fibers you need to

keep your body healthy when exercising. A healthy snack before exercising could include an apple, a banana, berries, grapes, or nuts. Protein is crucial for repairing and building up muscle. You can get your protein intake from chicken, turkey, fish, eggs, beans, milk, or yogurt. Carbohydrates are the body’s main source of energy! The Mayo Clinic says that about 45%-65% of your calorie intake should come from carbs. But, to keep your body healthy you should be focusing on complex carbs found in fruits, vegetables, and grains. Eating the right foods will keep your body healthy and will improve your ability to exercise!