Soreness After Yoga: Why You Feel It and How To Ease Discomfort

Soreness After Yoga

Millions of Americans enjoy the benefits of yoga. Doing yoga can increase flexibility, muscle strength and tone, help you lose weight, improve your energy levels, and even reduce stress. It is little wonder that yoga has become so popular in the United States.

Yet anyone who practices yoga knows firsthand the soreness that can often kick in a day or two after trying something new or doing a higher-intensity workout. Home remedies, like massage, a hot or cold bath, and even eating certain foods can relieve this discomfort. Adding CBD to the mix can boost the effectiveness of these remedies, allowing you to feel better — and get back on the mat.

If you’re interested in trying CBD for soreness after yoga, read on to learn more about the latest research on its anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving benefits. Armed with this knowledge, you can decide if CBD is right for you — and how best to add it to your routine.

Why Am I Feeling Sore Post-Yoga?

Yoga has a reputation for being a low intensity workout, or even something that can bring you to a state of zen or calmness. While yoga can undoubtedly help you center yourself, it can also be strenuous — especially if you’re just starting or getting back into a routine. Yoga can provide a deep stretch to muscles that you don’t normally use in your everyday routine.

The soreness that you experience after yoga is known as delayed onset muscle soreness, or DOMS. It usually occurs anywhere from 12 to 48 hours after exercise, and is short-term in nature. The level of soreness that you may feel depends on what type of yoga you are practicing, the intensity of your session, how often you do yoga, and your individual body type.

According to the American College of Sports Medicine, DOMS is likely caused by microscopic damage to the muscle fibers that are involved in a particular exercise, leading to inflammation. Any type of activity that causes muscles to length while force is applied — known as eccentric muscle action — may cause DOMS. In addition to muscle soreness, DOMS may lead to swelling of the affected limbs, stiffness of the joint, tenderness to the touch, and a temporary reduction in strength of the affected muscles.

In most cases, DOMS does not require medical treatment. However, certain symptoms, such as dark urine and higher levels of swelling, may indicate a more serious problem and the need for medical prevention.

Soreness after any exercise, including yoga, cannot always be prevented. This is especially true for anyone beginning a new exercise program, pushing themselves a bit further with their current regime, or trying a new type of yoga. Allowing time for muscles to recover and adapt to new stress can help to minimize the severity of soreness and the likelihood of damage to the muscle.

Ways to Reduce Soreness After Yoga

There are a number of ways that you can reduce post-yoga muscle soreness. Many types of home remedies can be useful in alleviating some symptoms of DOMS. While many people rely on over-the-counter non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) medications like Advil or Aleve, research has shown that these drugs do little to relieve DOMS pain.

A massage between 24 and 72 hours after an intense workout may help to reduce soreness, according to a 2017 review. For most people, getting massages after each workout is cost-prohibitive. Self massages can be helpful, but may not be as effective.

Other options for relieving discomfort after yoga may include:

To boost the effects of these remedies, CBD (cannabidiol) may be useful. CBD is a naturally occurring compound found in the hemp plant. It may interact with the body’s endocannabinoid system (ECS) to provide a range of health and wellness benefits.

When it comes to soreness and pain after a workout, CBD may be particularly useful. Research indicates that CBD has strong anti-inflammatory effects. A 2019 review concluded that CBD has both an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect. Scientists have also determined that CBD may help to relieve chronic pain and reduce inflammation and pain.

A July 2020 review specifically examined how CBD may be used by athletes for sports performance. This paper noted that there is preliminary evidence that CBD has anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, analgesic, and anxiolytic properties, and has the potential to benefit athletes. The authors concluded that more research is necessary to confirm these findings.

If you do decide to incorporate CBD into part of your post-yoga routine, there are many options for doing so. Topicals, such as creams, lotions, or balms, can be applied directly to the affected muscle or joint. A transdermal patch may provide for extended relief, with the CBD released over a period of hours or even days.

Taking CBD orally in a capsule, through a tincture, or in an edible can provide whole body benefits, in addition to boosting your body’s anti-inflammatory response. Generally, tinctures or oils provide the quickest results after being applied under your tongue.

Using home remedies combined with CBD may help to relieve discomfort and soreness after yoga. Experiment with different options, like a cold bath followed by a CBD balm, to find the post-yoga routine that works best for you.

How to Buy Top Quality CBD

If you are taking care of your body through yoga and other forms of healthy living, the last thing that you want to do is buy a supplement that may contain toxins or unsafe ingredients. At Green Wellness Life, we firmly believe in only selling high quality, independently tested CBD products made from hemp grown in the United States. When you purchase CBD through our website, you can do so with confidence, knowing that we take the time to evaluate each product before offering it for sale.

Our team is highly knowledgeable about CBD, and we are happy to share our experience and insights with you. While we aren’t doctors and cannot treat or diagnose any medical condition, we can provide you with the latest scientific research so that you can make a decision that is right for you. If you’re ready to buy, you can start shopping now, or reach out to us via email or at 866-244-4223 to learn more.

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