6 Simple Sore Muscle Remedies

There are tons of gadgets and tricks out there peddled as sore muscle remedies, but most of them don't work very well. But these do, and they only cost your time. So, try these sore muscle remedies...
1. Stretching Stretching is a great sore muscle remedy. When your muscles start getting sore and tight, try stretching them out, gently but insistently. When muscles are sore they usually contract and shorten. Gentle stretching will help them assume their normal length, and help you move around easier. So, make some time and floor space to stretch. Also, you get your best results when you stretch regularly, not just once in a while when it's really bad.
2. Massage Massage helps tons, especially trigger point massage. It's a bit painful to do a good massage, but you'll feel loads better. Trigger points are also called 'muscle knots'. They're little, tight contracted bits of muscle that are really painful when you put pressure on them. If you've ever had someone massage your neck, 'right there', you know the feeling. While it's great to have a professional do this, you can get as much mileage (or more) by doing it yourself with friends. Personally I love doing my own massage because I can go as hard, or as soft, as I want - whenever I want! You'll be amazed at how much better you feel after you take a lacrosse ball to your back or shoulders. Hell, just getting your friends to use their elbows is one of the best sore muscle remedies.
3. Hot Bath Aside from just feeling wonderful, a hot bath is a great sore muscle remedy. It heats you (and your muscle tissue) up, and increases blood flow to your sore muscle tissues. A hot bath will also relax you. And relaxed muscle are longer, softer, and generally in less pain. Once you leave the bath and start to cool down the effect will mostly wear off. But it helps cut the worst of your sore muscle pain.
4. Light Exercise OK, you're sore. And now you should do more exercise?! Only light stuff. Slow dancing, jogging, or anything that isn't too strenuous will get your muscles moving and blood pumping through them. And blood moving through your limbs will heat them up and make them more limber. If you go too hard you'll just make the situation worse, but a little bit will make you feel much better.
5. Protein Before Bed Here's a new trick that not only might be one of the best sore muscle remedies, and it also actually helps your muscles recover faster! It doesn't just dull the pain. Eat some protein before going to bed when you're sore. This could be chicken, turkey breast, steak, or eggs - whatever. Recently studies indicate that eating protein before you go to bed helps your muscles recover. Which makes sense; the sleep helps repairs your muscles, and the protein gives you the building blocks to repair them. So, eat some protein!
6. Sleep and Time The best sore muscle remedies are really sleep and time. Sleep allows your body to repair itself, and time does the same thing. Acute muscle soreness, like after a workout, responds well to all the sore muscle remedies I listed above. But simply letting yourself rest is the best way to recover.