Take A Bath

Tired, Achy Muscles? Take a Bath!

The holidays are a time of excess - lots of parties, time spent with friends and family, and tons of good food. To combat any unwanted weight gain during the season, it’s a good idea to squeeze some exercise into your busy schedule. You’ll not only stay healthy and trim, you’ll be less likely to overindulge at parties when you see the rewards of all your hard work.

But while you’ll feel and look better, you will have to contend with one side-effect: muscle soreness. After rigorous activity (or any movement your body isn’t used to), you might find yourself feeling tight and sore for a day or two afterwards. This is mostly due to a buildup of lactic acid in your muscles during the cool-down phase of your workout, and tiny tears in the muscle fibers. These tears actually help you get stronger - as tissue builds up around them, your muscles get larger and stronger. Even though some moderate soreness can mean you had a great workout, it is still uncomfortable and makes it difficult to go about your daily activities.

One of the best ways to treat tired, sore muscles is to take a warm bath using high-quality bath salts and soaks. You don’t want to soak in the tub immediately after your workout - you should wait about 1-2 hours. Why? Warm water increases circulation and promotes inflammation; it’s best to gradually cool down your muscles and let them recover a bit before you head to the bath. Take a short walk, do some stretches and refuel with a healthy meal.

Then, take a bath! The warm water massages your muscles and makes them more pliable and less prone to cramping and tightness. The warmth increases your circulation and helps speed muscle recovery.

Bath salts are an essential ingredient in a post-workout bath. Bath salts are usually made from real sea salts, and high-quality salts contain minerals and nutrients that are essential for overall health and also happen to do wonders for sore muscles. Sea salts contain magnesium, a mineral known as a muscle relaxer, as well as other vital nutrients such as potassium.The bath salts also aid in the release of toxins that build up during exercise.

Dead Sea salts are an excellent choice for soothing tired muscles, since they are exceptionally high in mineral content. Essential oils of menthol and eucalyptus work to increase blood flow and cool the skin, resulting in great overall relief. You can create your own bath salts by mixing in your own essential oils and fragrances, or you can buy a soak designed to soothe sore muscles, such as our Muscle Soak bath salt formula.

So a few hours after your next workout, draw a nice, warm bath. Dim the lights and sprinkle in two heaping handfuls of bath salts - the more the better! Sit back, relax, and allow your body to unwind after all its hard work. You deserve it!