While winter makes many of us feel like hibernating, some of us are getting physical in the gym.
According to Exercise New Zealand head Richard Beddie, some gyms have reported a 5% uptick in memberships so far this year — and there's not a leotard in sight. The exertion of choice? Strength training, incorporating weights.
"It's not only the gym industry experiencing quite a bit of growth; it's particularly strength training. We're finding that it's becoming more and more popular. In fact, it's the most popular activity in a gym setting."
Strength training has many health benefits, particularly for ageing bodies, said Beddie. Strength training can also mean sore muscles — also known as delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS).
"What that means is that people feel sore muscles after working out, and the key here is that you can do something about it," explained Beddie. "You can make it go away or certainly feel better."
What's the best way to treat sore muscles?
A hottie or frozen peas?
There's a growing industry around wellness and recovery.
Jill Somerville runs Cryo Health Solutions in Auckland's Takapuna. The studio offers a range of treatments, including cryotherapy, infrared saunas and compression therapy.
"We see a lot of athletes because they're constantly training and putting their bodies on the line and need to recover quickly," said Somerville.
Seven Sharp was given a demonstration of how cryotherapy works, where for up to three minutes, you stand in a chamber that goes down to minus 130 degrees Celsius.
"[The cold] is highly effective in decreasing inflammation," said Somerville, explaining that the three minutes of extreme cold triggers an anti-inflammatory response.
"That's why it became so popular amongst the athletes, so they can get them back on the track or back out on the field whatever they're training for."
Next came the infra-red sauna, where punters usually relax for 30 minutes.
"There are three levels of infra-red. It helps with the top layer of the skin, the muscles, and the detox. So, it goes pretty deep into the body, which will help with muscle soreness.
"This is great for cellular health; it's also really good for tissue regeneration," said Somerville.
And if that hasn't fixed you, there's compression therapy — which uses specially designed garments to apply controlled pressure to specific areas of the body.
What about home remedies?
Beddie shared some tips for treating sore muscles at home. First, even though you may not don't feel like it — get moving.
"For most people, that means going for a walk or potentially going back to the gym — but doing it at a lower intensity," he said.
Secondly, adding heat to sore muscles also helps.
"A wheat bag on a sore muscle, or a hot shower or bath — anything that can increase blood flow to the affected area is going to help."
And don't forget massage — Beddie recommends using a foam roller.
"Many people have them at home, but they can also be used at the gym. [The foam roller] rolls the tissue, moving it around, and it really helps people with muscle recovery."
You should be back on track in a day or so, but "listen to your body," said Beddie.
Sadly, that doesn't include eating cheesecake.
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