ThisNext Blog

Although I am no longer the (semi-)hardcore runner I used to be, there are still those days when I push myself hard enough to experience some considerable muscle ache later on. When that happens, I usually take the “whine and do nothing” approach to self-care. But the athletes of ThisNext, who know way more about this stuff than I do, each have his/her own secret solutions for soothing sore muscles.

Mariko Hirakawa, a yoga instructor and dancer, favors muscle rubs infused with naturally healing ingredients. First there’s Zip’s Muscle Rub from Indigo Wild, an essential-oil-based salve that works to ease pain in both your muscles and your joints. Says Mariko:

“It is my favorite muscle rub for sore, knotted muscles, because it contains natural, high quality oils that condition that skin, as well as healing herbs, such as angelica, arnica, and goldenseal, which truly aid in healing the muscles underneath. Plus, it has a pleasant, natural fragrance that has an aroma-therapeutic effect.”

Mariko also turns to the anti-inflammatory, analgesic Traumeel, noting that - even though it lacks “the penetrating feel that Ben Gay or Tiger Balm has” - the rub contains homeopathic remedies that “really speed the healing process.”

Those anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties are also found in Pharmanex FlexCreme, a menthol-based product proven effective by a Medical Journal of Rheumatology double-blind clinical study. In her FlexCreme shopcast, Kayaker Tanya Faux announces that “after shoulder surgery, it was the only thing that gave me instant pain relief.”

And for the bruise-prone who want to banish black-and-blues and muscle ache with the same foolproof product, there’s Boiron’s Arnica Gel, recently featured on FabSugar. Our blogger explains:

“Made from a Northwestern mountain plant called arnica montana, this nice-smelling, non-sticky ointment is used by athletes to cure muscle aches and pains. But it’s also miraculous when it comes to banishing even the biggest, ugliest bruises. You just gently and generously rub the gel on the affected area a couple of times a day, and the bruise will literally disappear in a matter of days. (As a bonus, it will also stop hurting.)”

Not all muscle soothers come in the form of rubs, balms, and gels. Professional mountain biker Willow Koerber, for instance, swallows Sportlegs, “calcium/magnesium capsules that keep your legs from feeling the ‘burn’ while you are racing and training.” Biker/endurance sports enthusiast Colleen Helm, meanwhile, simply snacks on California strawberries, which she considers a perfect “after-ride fuel that wards off sore muscles.” And Upabreak.com (the “buyer’s guide to smoking hot tennis gear”) has discovered a healing food that should appeal to everyone’s inner eight-year-old: Organic Valley’s single serve Lowfat Chocolate Milk. For proof of the cocoa-flavored moo juice’s muscle-nourishing benefits, Upabreak.com’s blogger points to a recent International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism study finding that “chocolate milk is a strong alternative to other commercial sports drinks in helping athletes recover from strenuous, energy-depleting exercise.” Quik and Yoo Hoo probably don’t count, but the organic stuff’s got so much more creamy-rich goodness anyway.