Avoiding the Ache

As you begin to gear into practice and get ready for the upcoming tennis season in the spring, I’m sure you all are working hard on and off the court. Most likely, you’ll be doing squats, lunges, pushups, and a variety of other fun workouts on the side as well, meaning, well, you’ll be sore the next day.

There is a way to prevent that. Well, actually, many ways to prevent that. You can always go the most painful and tedious route for the best results by drawing an ice bath for yourself. As a huge fan (NOT) of ice baths, I remember vividly the days in college when, after stadium runs, legs shaking, we would head together as a team to the ice tub, sit for ten painful minutes, and then walk out penguin-like about the rest of our day. The first two minutes are the worst; once you get sufficiently numb, as long as you stay as still as possible, you won’t feel much other than the numb awkwardness of your toes. Despite the frigid 45-55 degree water, and despite the pain, this technique actually works wonders for your body, not only flushing out lactic acid that causes soreness but also conditioning your body. Next day, no pain. I have a love-hate relationship with ice baths. While painful and horribly, well, cold, it really is the best technique for flushing soreness out of your body. Try not to submerge all the way though—stick with your legs and hips only.

Of course, not everyone has the luxury of an already made ice bath cold and ready for you. To make your own, fill a tub halfway, then add ice until the water is a frosty 55 degrees. Don’t stay in any longer though than ten minutes though—a little goes a long way. You can also flush lactic acid out of your system doing a contrast shower, running the water very hot then very cold, on and off, 2 minutes at a time.

Don’t like the idea of painful water? Stick with stretching. Now, you may think that you are actually stretching when really, you aren’t doing much. Each stretch needs to be held for at least ONE MINUTE; that’s right, a full 60 seconds. No bouncing, no moving, just full on stretch for one minuto. Now, that means that in total, you’d probably be stretching for about 20-30 minutes. Better yet, go to a yin yoga class; sounds cliché, but you’ll feel like a new person afterwards.

Other ways of fighting soreness include massage and Jacuzzi time!

Till next time, adios, and stay sore-free!