Relieving Muscle Pain from P90X and Insanity Workouts

Dainah Craft

Working for over 10 years in sports therapy, I have seen many workout trends come and go. In the last year, the hottest trend has been the grueling P90X workout followed quickly by the even more fierce INSANITY. The science behind these techniques is sound, and the results on the body vary. I have seen many of my clients lose inches and build muscle, but I’ve also seen them lose up to 40% of their range of motion in areas such as the rotator cuff (shoulder), neck and lower back.
 

The workouts are very intense and put an incredible strain on the muscles. Not only are you sore from constantly subjecting the muscles to micro tears, but the soreness leads to lack of movement throughout the rest of your daily routine which leads to more soreness, fatigue and less flexibility. Strength training by nature tightens the muscles, and if you are not consistently stretching after each workout, you are going to lose flexability as well.
 

Take Care of Yourself  During P90X Workouts

So, what is my verdict on P90X and INSANITY? Do it if you want, but have a care plan for your beat-up muscles.  Make sure you don’t skip the cool down after the workout. Yeah, I know you’re sweating profusely, probably can’t breathe and you feel like you are on the verge of collapse, but don’t skip it. Your body will thank you later. Be sure to stretch each muscle group that you focused on. Stretch until you feel a mild pull and hold the stretch for a minimum of 10 seconds.  Make sure when you are counting that you are counting 1 Mississippi, 2 Mississippi etc… Take a deep breath and relax deeper into the stretch for a total of three reps.
 

Drink water! Forgo the power aide drinks and reach for a plain glass of H2O. There’s no point subjecting yourself to torture on a daily basis if you are just going to dump a bunch of refined sugars into your body as soon as you are done. How much water should you drink? The formula is half your weight in ounces every day. And I would add an additional 8 ounces on top of that to aide your body in moving out the waste products your muscles are producing during your workout.
 

Massage Therapy Will Increase Your Workout Capacity

Because I like to save the best for last, I recommend that you get a massage one day a week while you are doing P90X or INSANITY. Have your therapist target the muscle attachments around the joints first, then in flushing toxins out of the entire length of the muscles with slow deep stripping strokes along the belly of the muscle. Then make sure they are incorporating facilitated stretches in each of your affected areas. The massage should be focused on moving out toxins, keeping your joints flexible and decreasing muscle soreness.  But, it should not be a bone crushing deep tissue massage! Your body is going through enough trauma (called P90X or INSANITY), and you need a massage therapist that knows how to treat your muscles effectively, but kindly. 
 

On a scale of 1-10 (1 is I can’t feel you touching me, and 10 is I am about to pass out because this is so painful). You should stay at a consistent 6-7 (feels great and almost hurts, but not quite) and should never get above an 8. The only exception is when your massage therapist is working a trigger point which should be for a short period of time proceeded with a warning that they are going to push on this really painful knot in your muscle. Don’t worry, while trigger point therapy is painful for a few moments, you will feel much better afterward, and your muscle function will improve as well.
 

So go ahead and do P90X or INSANITY if you feel up to the challenge, but have a self care plan for your muscles to maximize your chances of success. Not only will you come out of it with less fat, more muscle tone and higher self-esteem, but if done in conjunction with proper massage therapy, your body will feel as great as it looks. You’ll have a body that not only looks great, but feels great and is structurally sound!
 

Be Well,

Dainah Craft
Owner and Lead Therapist
Health Yourself Massage, LLC
 

** DISCOUNT MASSAGE PACKAGE for P90X/INSANITY users. **  View details…