Fight Soreness with Epsom Salt Baths

By Ryan Flaherty

Why this tried-and-true method is still one of the best forms of muscle recovery.

Recovery is one of the most valuable tools you have to keep your workouts consistent. In this article, Ryan Flaherty talks you through how to recover from muscle pain so you can get back out there tomorrow, and the next day, and the next.

A big part of working out is dealing with your soreness in the following few days. Being really sore can even make you want to skip your next workout, so it’s really important to deal with your soreness and recover. My best tip is old school, but it’s been around for awhile because it works: take an Epsom salt bath.

Every grocery store, pharmacy, or convenience store sells Epsom salt bags. You don’t need some fancy kind. I recommend taking the Epsom salt bath at night. Maybe you see pro-athletes in a giant ice tub and think you need to freeze yourself for recovery, but it’s not just about cold.

Here are the instructions:

1. Start nightly soaks the day you exercised. This will help you get ahead of the muscle pain.
2. Use hot water, and I mean hot. Make the water as hot as you can stand without discomfort.
3. Dissolve the salts according to the package directions, usually two cups for the normal bathtub full of water.
4. Soak for 15 to 20 minutes.

It might seem basic, but Epsom salt baths are one of the best recovery tools on the planet, with fully-documented research to support its benefits. So work out hard enough to get sore, and then help reduce that soreness with a nightly Epsom salt bath.