Sore from exercise? Experts share tips on dealing with workout pain

Lockdown sparked an exercise fire into many of us, however nearly half of Brits have been left with muscular and joint flare-ups… The results are in, and its good news! Nearly half of Brits^[1] were encouraged to start exercising thanks to this year’s lockdown with a third admitting that they took a walk or exercised at least once a day. It comes as gyms re-open their doors and many of us continue our new-found love of exercise. The new study published by Deep Heat, Deep Freeze and Deep Relief - the go to muscle and joint health products - also reveals that 66% of people polled found exercise to be beneficial for their physical and/or mental health. However, with exercise comes aches, pains and niggles. In fact, 44% of respondents said they are having to deal with exercise-related pains, many endured during lockdown. Personal trainer, Lucy Gornall says: “It’s time to deal with these minor injuries and practice self-careology, the art of taking self-care into your own hands, at home. Not only to help play a part and lessen the burden on the NHS, but to ensure we can continue to exercise and stay healthy, something the UK government is encouraging more than ever in a bid to get us healthier and immune-health fit. “And don’t forget, Mentholatum’s Deep Freeze, Deep Heat and Deep Relief products are essential in every household’s self care toolkit, particularly as 48% of people polled would prefer to avoid taking oral painkillers for muscle and joint pain. Deep Heat, Deep Freeze and Deep Relief, topical products offer practical, proven approaches to help soothe pain.” These products are also important for the general aches and pains of life, regardless of exercise. This could be a sore back from awkward sleep or even tired legs from standing too long. And don’t forget to take extra care of your joints and muscles the older you get. Arthritic conditions become more common and it’s important to practice self-care around warming, cooling down and treating any mild or moderate pain with topical pain relief products. If you’re suffering from exercise muscular flare-ups, these tips from physiotherapist, Sammy Margo, might help: #1. Sore back from squats Lower and upper back sprains caused by exercise were an issue for 20% of those questioned in the Deep Heat, Deep Freeze and Deep Relief survey. Sammy Margo explains that a sore lower back can often occur when people use too much weight on their squats, causing their back to round over. Sammy Margo notes: “For lower and upper back sprains try applying Deep Freeze Pain Relief Cold Patch, to help cool the area and relieve pain. Deep Relief Anti-inflammatory Gel also offers a real alternative to oral painkillers. Deep Relief Anti-inflammatory Gel contains the highly effective topical NSAID - ibuprofen - which provides powerful pain and inflammation relief with fast cooling due to the second painkiller action of levomenthol. #2. Tight quads from lunges “This often occurs due to a lack of warm up before exercising, when the muscles haven’t been stretched out. Or, from lack of cool down after exercise,” says Sammy Margo. Stretching out your muscles will help. Try lying on your front and with one hand, pull your foot towards your bottom. Hold for 10 seconds then release. “Heat on the muscles is also a good idea before exercising to help loosen and soften the muscles,” says Sammy Margo. Try Deep Heat Muscle Massage Roll-on Lotion 20 minutes prior to exercise. #3. Painful knees from running DID YOU KNOW? Before running or exercising generally apply some heat to avoid knees feeling stiff. Deep Heat Max Strength is a good option here. “Runner’s knee is extremely common, and can be caused by various factors, including strained tendons. “And it’s not just runners that can get knee pain niggles. If you are a keen walker, rambler, gym enthusiast, like to cycle or just love being active knee inflammation can flare up,” says Sammy Margo. “If your knee is swollen, give Deep Freeze Pain Relief Glide-on Gel a go. “For those of us with old injuries that cause knees to swell when you run or just when you are active, try Deep Relief Joint Pain Gel containing the highly effective, topical NSAID ibuprofen, plus a second pain killing ingredient, levomenthol, an ingredient from the black peppermint plant family. This product provides powerful pain and inflammation relief with fast cooling action and starts to work in 10 minutes. #4. Burning glutes from the rowing machine As with the quads, stretching will help here. Sit down on a chair and take your left ankle, placing it on your right thigh, above your knee. Then, without curving your back, lean forward until you can feel the stretch. Hold for 20 seconds and then repeat on the other side. SAMMY MARGO’S TIPS TO AVOID GYM PAINS 1. Check your form Unsure how to squat correctly? Or worried about lifting weights? According to the Deep Heat, Deep Freeze and Deep Relief study, only two in five of us have previously researched how to exercise safely for muscles and joints. I recommend finding reputable online sources and watching ‘how-to’ videos. At the gym, ask a trainer to watch your form. They’ll be able to give you pointers on improving your technique. 2. Warm up and cool down Nearly half of us launch into exercise without warming up.  A five-minute warm up and a five-minute cool down are enough to help prepare the muscles for a workout, and then relax it post-exercise. Always factor in these 10 minutes as it will make the world of difference in reducing injuries. 3. Wear the right trainers If you are running, invest in a good pair of running trainers. If you are weight lifting, you will want shoes with a firmer, flatter sole. What you wear on your feet can have a huge impact on your joints. 4. Kit out your ‘kit bag’! Sounds silly, but don’t leave your kit bag empty of those vital essentials to help tackle exercise flare ups such as sprains and strains. My go to products are Deep Heat, Deep Freeze and Deep Relief as they provide a range of formats that are easy to use. And don’t forget the basics either when tackling mild to moderate muscle and joint pain like sprains and strains. If you do suffer a sprain or strain initially, you need cold comfort as part of PRICE — protect, rest, ice, compress and elevate. Keep cooling the affected area until heat and swelling around the site of the injury subside. This can take up to 72 hours. If you still have heat and swelling that is not subsiding after 72 hours please seek fast medical help. Product recommendations here for me are: Deep Freeze Pain Relief Glide-on Gel, Deep Freeze Pain Relief Cold Gel, Deep Freeze Pain Relief Cold Spray, Deep Freeze Pain Relief Cold Patch. Once the swelling and inflammation has subsided, apply warming products to increase blood flow and promote healing. Product recommendations: Deep Heat Muscle Massage Roll-on Lotion, Deep Heat Heat Rub, Deep Heat Max Strength, Deep Heat Pain Relief Spray, Deep Heat Pain Relief Patch (regular or extra-large, depending on the extent and site of the injury). If you have a sharp or burning pain in any muscle, a type of rapid-onset pain, apply a product from the Deep Freeze range to activate signals to the brain which will compete with, and turn down, the neural messages telling the brain you are in pain. Try Deep Freeze Pain Relief Glide on Gel, Deep Freeze Pain Relief Cold Gel Deep Freeze Pain Relief Cold Spray or Deep Freeze Pain Relief Cold Patch. Deep Relief Anti-inflammatory Gel is also beneficial here thanks to the presence of the NSAID ibuprofen and the fast cooling effect of levomenthol. As a result, Deep Relief is ideal for when you need powerful, targeted pain and inflammation relief. And for nagging back pain which many of us get – 84% - according to Deep Heat, Deep Freeze and Deep Relief, my go to products are Deep Heat Pain Relief Patch— to provide targeted and sustained pain relief. Heat helps restore movement and increases blood flow to the affected area, which will reduce pain and aid healing if there is any tissue damage. The patch can be worn for eight hours, offering up to 16 hours of pain relief, as the patch can continue to provide relief for a further 8 hours once removed. Deep Relief Anti-inflammatory Gel s another go-to, providing powerful pain and inflammation relief. It’s also great for those who suffer from non-serious arthritis or rheumatism. Lastly, if you get joint pain or muscle aches and pain, often down to tension, overuse, muscle injury or age-related wear and tear then try Deep Relief Anti Inflammatory Gel, Deep Relief Joint Pain Gel, Deep Heat Heat Rub, Deep Heat Max Strength, Deep Heat Pain Relief Spray or Deep Heat Pain Relief Heat Patch (available in regular or extra-large). ^[1] Ginger Research, Omnibus Survey, 1100 respondents 18 years to 64 years; Summer 2020