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​Using Epsom Salt For Muscle Recovery: Soak, Relax, Restore

Posted by The Salt Box on 22nd Mar 2018

For the more active folks amongst us, the pain the day after a workout, big run, or a football match can take all the pleasure out of exercise. Tired, aching muscles, strained ligaments and all over fatigue can leave you feeling run down, lacklustre and unable to get on with your day as you usually would.

If you're plagued by tired, sore muscles from exercising or work, Epsom salts are your best friend. Soak, relax, restore!

While it might feel natural to reach for the medicine cabinet for an anti-inflammatory or some pain-killers, sometimes all you might need is a long, warm soak in some bath salts. Epsom salts have long been praised for their restorative properties. They are an excellent way to treat fatigue and soothe injuries from sport and overactivity.

If you haven’t tried jumping in a warm bath with a couple of cups of Epsom salts instead of taking medicine, there could be more benefits for you than just relief. And when mixed with essential oils, the effect on the mind and body can be truly transformative.

Using Epsom Salts to Recover from a Sporting Injury or Tired Muscles From Too Much Exercise

While Epsom salts are great for evoking a sense of calm us when added to baths and mixed with essential oils. They are also great for relaxing our muscles and soothing sprains and strains from sports, an accidental slip or awkward bend.

You can add them to your usual bath and fully submerge, combine with your usual essential oils for a deep, soothing effect, add them to a localised foot bath, or apply a salt-soaked towel directly to a problem area.

Sports physiologists recommend that Epsom salts be used regularly to relieve tension in affected areas. Soaking at least once a week helps increase and maintaining blood flow whilst loosening tight muscle fibres and encouraging the healing of muscle tissue.

The Benefits of Using Epsom Salts As a Part of Your Recovery Routine

Relieve Muscle Aches and Pains - Epsom salts are high in magnesium, which is a powerful anti-inflammatory mineral. Inflammation is the body’s natural response to injury, and by modulating cellular events involved in inflammation, magnesium calms the process, making it an effective natural treatment for sore muscles, aching joints, and other systemic stress - an effective way to help ensure a speedy recovery.

Eliminate Toxins In The Body - A long soak in Epsom salts are known to have a profound detoxifying effect on the body. If your body is feeling inflamed, puffy or somewhat sluggish, a couple of cups of salts in a bath can help flush out any toxins weighing you down. With improved physical health comes improved mental health, the combination of using Epsom salts to relax and restore can be the ticket to total wellbeing.

Reduce Stress - The magnesium in Epsom salt is excellent for reducing stress in the mind as well as the body. When absorbed through the skin, magnesium aids with the conversion of tryptophan, an amino acid, to the neurotransmitter serotonin, which conveys sensations of satisfaction and relaxation. Magnesium is also a key player in the production of energy in cells, which is very important for a speedy recovery.

How To Use Epsom Salts on the Body

Soaking in an Epsom salt bath, or holding a towel soaked in warm water infused with salts can help to relieve tension, encourage healing and soothe sore muscles after injury or exercise.

The towel approach is best applied to sprains and strains in the ankles and wrists, or any other localised injuries.

For larger muscles, such as the calves, quadriceps, shoulder and back muscles, soaking in a bath will ensure that all areas are immersed in the mineral rich-salt mixture. Doing this on a regular basis as well as stretching before and after exercise can have a profound effect on muscle recovery.

It’s also important to add that while the high levels of magnesium in Epsom salts are great for sore muscles, it’s very important to hydrate after any salt bath as the effect can be slightly dehydrating. Keeping your fluids up after any exercise is important in any respect.

If you are a sports enthusiast, have a stressful work life, or simply push yourself too hard at the gym, integrating Epsom salts into your recovery routine will make a huge difference to how you feel the day after.

By encouraging blood-flow, allowing sulfate and magnesium to enter the bloodstream for muscle repair, and relaxing the muscles when combined with warm water, these salts are truly magnificent for your body. And when mixed with essential oils, can work wonders on a stressed mind too - all very essential for muscle repair! See our range of Epsom salts here.