Expert tips for avoiding soreness from the gym

With the country reopening and summer just around the corner more Aussies are hitting the gym. Here are a few tips to prevent soreness from your workouts.

As Australia slowly reopens and summer nears, Aussies are hitting the gym in droves and there are plenty of sore bodies struggling to get down stairs or roll out of bed.

Restrictions for vaccinated Sydneysiders relaxed this week.

Under the new rules, people who are fully vaccinated can participate in an outdoor sport and exercise in groups up to 20 people. Gyms and indoor recreation facilities, such as a squash court, table tennis centre, health studio, bowling alley, and ice rinks can open too.

Flow Athletic bootcamp instructor Sheron Sultan will return to indoor training this week. Picture: Liam Driver

But the influx of activities and training will no doubt leave some people worse for wear.

One of the easiest ways to look after your body while training is by fuelling it correctly.

Typically, quality carbs like breads and cereals help fuel the body during exercise and may prevent muscle cramps.

Damien Fitzpatrick. Picture: John Appleyard

Damien Fitzpatrick in his playing days. Picture: AAP.

After your workout, foods such as cherries, eggs, turmeric and salmon can help prevent soreness due to the vitamins and micronutrients they possess.

Micronutrients are something that has often been overlooked but former Waratah player Damien Fitzpatrick found the benefit of them throughout his career.

He suffered three major ACL injuries and struggled to find relief after his final surgery.

While playing rugby union in France a leading doctor told him he would only have four years of playing time left due to the little amount of cartilage in his knee.

The forward was in agony most days, barely unable to play or train even with the heavy use of anti-inflammatories.

He said a doctor mentioned it may help to look at complementary medicine.

Damien Fitzpatrick is able to live comfortably after investigating micronutrition. Picture: John Appleyard

“We found a product in Norway, it was an omega fish oil. It really solved the problem. I was able to get relief and train and play,”

“This started a deep dive into micronutrition and I noticed this glaring gap in sports nutrition.”

After years of research, he started Pillar Performance in 2020 – which sells micronutrition products. The products help with sleep and recovery, energy levels and immunity protection.

Mr Fitzpatrick said their triple magnesium professional magnesium would help those who are getting back into the gym.

“The product will help with muscle soreness and overall feelings of fatigue. We have managed to develop very effective magnesium which will also help with sleeplessness. For those who are training really hard this can be incorporated with some BCAA’s and protein,” he said.

Ben Lucas owns Flow Athletic in Sydney. Photo by Gaye Gerard/ Daily Telegraph

Top tips to prevent soreness from the gym

Founder and director of Flow Athletic Ben Lucas has provided some of his top tips to prevent soreness from the gym.

Eat a nutritious diet

“When lifting weights, your muscles tear, the repairing of that muscle tissue then helps your muscles become stronger and your physique improve. Therefore if you want to reduce muscle soreness you need to replenish the nutrients that have been drained from your body during the workout. Eat a diet that is high in protein, high in micronutrients such as leafy greens and also have a bit of fat and healthy carbs. This will help replenish your body so you recover faster.

Myofascial release

“Myofascial release is stretching, using a foam roller or a massage gun to help release your muscles. I highly recommend doing some stretching or rolling most days, especially on the days you have worked out. This will save you from being sore, stiff and tired.

Massage therapies

“As a runner, I really like Normatec boots, which are essentially boots that come up to the top of your thighs and give you a deep massage. They are amazing, however if that is not your thing, look at services such as a massage, acupuncture, an infra-red sauna. Anything of that nature will help release your muscles and support that lymphatic system.

Hydrate

“One of the biggest reasons people are sore for an extended period of time is because they are dehydrated. Make sure you drink a lot of water, and in some cases, especially if it is hot, consider a hydrolyte, coconut water or something of that nature.

Micronutrients

“I have always supplemented as I work out most days and of course used to play NRL at a high level. The main one for muscle recovery is to have a great magnesium, but because I am a runner, I also need to look after my joint health. I use Motion Armour by Pillar Performance because it contains a unique blend of eggshell membrane and curcumin which are both great ingredients for reducing inflammation, especially around the joints.”