Nov. 30--A tight muscle can be an unwanted reminder of a previous workout.
But whether it's from trying out a new class, marking a new distance or getting back into fitness after time away, stiff muscles can be the result.
Unwelcome tightness around a calf or back doesn't need to stick around, however.
Dr. Danielle Bass, a primary-care sports medicine specialist at Weiss Memorial Hospital's Chicago Center for Orthopedics, offered a few tips.
First, take steps to avoid feeling that tightness in the first place, she said.
Whether you are a "weekend warrior" going for a quick jog or someone who lifts weights every day, make sure you stretch.
"Stretching can help prevent injury," she said.
Consider doing a warmup, she added. Jog a little bit to warm up the muscles, then stretch for a few minutes -- and allow time for stretching at the end of a workout too.
But when muscle stiffness does occur, she recommends using a foam roller. Place the foam roller, which looks like a pool noodle, on the floor, and roll the stiff muscle on top of the roller.
She suggests rolling the muscles for about two minutes on each body part that's in pain.
If you're considering amping up your workouts, she added, be sure to plan ahead. For example, don't start right at 5 miles. Begin with 1 mile; then perhaps try 2 miles the next weekend.
The One Simple Thing series appears weekly, offering specific and small ways to improve health.
abowen@tribpub.com
