Ice is your Friend

My butt is sore, really sore. I woke up this morning trying to figure out why my butt is so sore. My hips are sore too and come to think about it, my lower back is sore. I went to the gym yesterday and did 45 minutes on the Precor Elliptical machine. This is not a new thing, doing cardio on the elliptical but I did change it up a bit. I squatted more and I also turned in my feet a few times to get an inner thigh burn. I also went backward for a while which I never do on that machine. I did bump up the level to a 9 and I am thinking that is what caused the back ache. Level 5 or 6 keeps the back ache away.

As I write this with a ice pack at my backside I think 10 or 15 years ago I would have never mulled over the reasons why I am sore or have aches. Yes, an exercise soreness is actually a good thing. I call it good because you know you did something to wake up or change up the way the muscles are working, they are very smart buggers. It is necessary to access why the back is sore because I do not want my back stressed to the point I can't exercise for a few days.

Ice is your friend, your ally, your amigo. It is very common to grab heat instead of ice. I used to make the mistake too plus it does feel much more soothing that ice. Heat actually tightens the muscles even further. Now, certain times moist heat is very effective. I use moist heat often but an injury to a muscle or wanting to decrease swelling and for my backaches, ice is the best bet. 20 minutes on an ice pack can alleviate much of your pain. 3 or 4 times a day and you are good to go. I have several cryotherapy ice packs left from knee surgery. I keep them in the freezer-ready to go.