The old saying, “no pain no gain” might be true to some extent, but you shouldn’t be suffering from strained muscles all the time. If you are sore to the point of barely being able to move your body, you have gone too far. To ease your tired and achy muscles and get some relief fast, try the following three options:

1. Massage. A massage is for more than pure relaxation-it can do wonders for sore and stiff muscles. Massages increase blood flow to the strained area which speeds up healing. It also prompts the body to release endorphines which are a natural pain killer.

2. Have a bath. A bath is a nice way to loosen up your stiff body, especially if it has epsom salts in it. Magnesium and sulphate are the leading components of Epsom Salt and they are both great for easing muscle and joint pain. Magnesium also helps rid the body of toxins and reduce inflammation, making it the ideal treatment for tired muscle and arthritis.

3. Flush it out. It is important to drink a minimum of eight glasses (64 oz.) of water daily to hydrant your body, and even more if you are sore. Dehydration can enhance muscle pain so make sure to drink lots of fluids all day long.

If you have overdone it working out, it is important to take it easy for a while. Light walking and stretching is ok and can even loosen you up, but anything more than that can cause irreversible damage to mucles and tendons.