Sore Muscles from Working Out?

Post-workout muscle pain is… well, a pain.  Technically called ‘Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness’ or DOMS, it occurs when we cause stress to the muscle tissue.  The tissue develops microscopic tears, causing inflammation which in turn causes a dull ache, usually in the 24-48 hour period that follows a workout.  It’s a natural adaptive process your body uses after an intense workout.  For me, it’s usually in my shoulders and back that I feel it when I start working out again after too long a hiatus.

So what to do?!

There are several essential oils that can aid your muscles:

Panaway – this essential oil blend can be mixed with coconut oil (or another carrier oil) and massaged into sore muscles.  It is a blend of Wintergreen, Helichrysum, Clove, and Peppermint essential oil.

Aroma Siez – another essential oil blend that can be mixed with a carrier oil and massaged into sore muscles.  Aroma Siez is a blend of Basil, Marjoram, Lavender, Peppermint, and Cypress essential oil.

Valor – yet another essential oil blend that, yep you guessed it, can be mixed with a carrier oil and massaged into your sore muscles.  Valor is a blend of Spruce, Rosewood, Blue Tansy, and Frankincense essential oil.

Peppermint – two of  the above blends use Peppermint for good reason, and Peppermint can even be used all by itself.  But Peppermint also acts as a ‘Driver’, enhancing the effect of other oils (when layered, or used in combination with other oils, it helps our bodies absorb their chemical constituents more quickly).  So it works well to use a couple drops of Peppermint with any of the blends above for a more noticeable effect.

Which Blend or Peppermint/Blend combo is the right one for you?  Honestly, that will depend on you and your particular soreness.  I recommend experimenting with each one.  Chances are, they’ll all have some effect to some degree (and the great thing about essential oils is that there are usually multiple solutions), but one will probably end up being your go-to. When mixing the essential oils and carrier oil, try a 50/50 mix or even a little more of the carrier oil (a couple drops of essential oil and a dime size of coconut oil for instance).  You can always work your way up to more.