General soreness
That stiff back after a long-distance cycle or that sore arm after carrying some weights.
Muscle aches are commonly experienced by those who engage in heavy exercise or regular household tasks like supermarketing or cleaning. It is our body’s indication that we may be overexerting ourselves and that we should dial down on our activity to prevent injury.
The soreness, also known as delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is often most tangible one to two days post-activity and usually lasts around 24 to 48 hours.
Targeted muscle pain
Targeted muscle pain that affects a small part of our body is usually signs of overuse or injury. However, if you experience a full body ache, it might have other underlying reasons such as illnesses, infections or from the medications we consume – and medical attention might be needed.
For most of us, however, our muscle aches often occur right after an exercise or from poor posture during our daily activities.
4 tips to prevent common muscle aches
According to Ms Tracy Ong, a physiotherapist from Singapore General Hospital, common muscle soreness can be prevented through the below tips:
1. Build up your workouts gradually
Gradually increase the intensity of your workout especially if the last time you exercised was a while ago.
2. Listen to your body
Listen to what your body is telling you and take a break when certain body parts start to ache.
3. Avoid prolonged repetitive tasks
Constant repeated acts of the same movement may result in a muscle injury known as Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI). RSI occurs when we engage in the same action persistently over a period of time, such as consistent poor postures at the desk or even through our daily household chores!
You might first notice muscle tightness, stiffness or pain in the neck and shoulder areas followed by limited head and neck movements. Deep aches may then start to form. Performing simple stretches in between household chores and avoiding over-arching of your back might reduce the risk of RSI.
4. Maintain good posture and ergonomics
Whether at work or in our daily chores, adopting a good posture goes a long way in preventing muscle strains and aches. For example, maintain an upright position during household chores like vacuuming and walk with your vacuum cleaner as it moves across your floor, instead of staying stationary and bending and pushing the machine. When washing dishes, to avoid arching your back, place a foot on a stool and keep wrists flat and straight.
KefenTech Air®: Light as air, tough on pain
Do you experience back pain, joint pain or neck aches from exercise or sports? Wondering how to relieve muscle aches or reduce inflammation post workout? Look no further than KefenTech Air® pain relief patches only available in Singapore at major retailers.
These medicated plasters offer targeted and effective pain relief. With no smell or burning sensation, these fuss-free, non-greasy pain relief plasters are formulated to wick away sweat and moisture, so you can heal in comfort. KefenTech Air® is recommended for people who do sports regularly, those who experience muscle aches from poor posture, long hours at the desk, and for just about anyone seeking an effective pain relief.
KefenTech Air® is available at Guardian, NTUC FairPrice, Unity and Watsons. Shop KefenTech now!
Source: HealthXchange
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