5 Easy Ways to Soothe an Achy Body

Maybe you worked out a little too hard this week and that's why your body hurts. Or maybe, you had to sit at a desk for 12 hours trying to meet that work deadline, and now—your body feels achy and tired. Whatever the reasons may be, try out these five tips to soothe, heal, and relax your way back to a balanced and tension-free body.

1: Take an Epsom Salt bath (add ginger, too!)

The heat of the bath water coupled with Epsom Salt is known to alleviate tension in muscles, relax and calm the nervous system, reduce swelling, and draw toxins out of the body. Pour 1–2 cups of Epsom Salt in your hot bath and soak. Adding ginger (whether essential oil or freshly sliced) is an excellent anti-inflammatory to help relieve joint pain.

2: Use a foam roller

Using a foam roller is one of the least expensive and most effective ways to alleviate pain in the back, shoulders, and legs. It's a myofascial release technique that applies pressure to an area of the body that helps reduce tension and assist in the recovery of muscles.

3: Elevate legs

Elevating your legs helps to increase circulation, calm the nervous system, and reduce swelling. To try it, lie on your back with your legs propped on a stack of pillows or on the seat of a chair or couch. You can also use a wall, as you would in the yoga pose "Legs up the wall."

4: Stretch

Stretching is a pretty obvious one, but it's an absolute must. It increases your overall range of motion and flexibility. If you're sitting at your desk all day long, stop and stretch when you can. Nothing drastic, just a simple shoulder and/or neck roll will do. If you're about to work out, you can reduce the risk of aches by warming up properly and adequately stretching after.

5: Drink water

I know, another obvious one, but also so important! Many people don't realize that aches and pains can sometimes be caused by poor hydration! So make sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day; on days you work out, drink even more.

Kit Rich is Los Angeles-based fitness trainer with endless exercise and nutritional know-how. Hollywood's hottest stars are addicted to Kit's unique, multi-disciplined approach that combines cardio, yoga, Pilates, and weight training. Kit's clients are immediately taken by her funny and honest approach to health and fitness. She treats her clients as she treats herself, "with a hard challenge, sensibility, sensitively, and a good laugh." Follow Kit on Twitter @kitrichfitness.