1. Workout consistently. This one may seem obvious, but it has to be said. The better condition your muscles are in, the less sore they will get. If you workout once or twice a week one time a month, you will never get over the initial hurdle of workouts making you extra sore because your muscles are not used to being used.

2. Get in a good warm up. Give your muscles a chance to ease in to being ready for that tough workout and they will thank you by getting less sore.

3. Do a cool-down. Instead of just stopping abruptly and going home to sit on the couch, keep moving for a short time post-workout. This keeps the blood moving and helps the muscles start to recover.

4. Move Throughout the Day. If you have time for a long walk, awesome! Take that walk. Get the blood moving through those muscles. If you don’t have a ton of time, even short walks around your office/house/yurt/whatever will help get blood moving through those muscles and flush some of that soreness out. You could even throw in some air squats, lunges, and desk push-ups if you really want to get that heart rate up!

5. Sleep! Make sure you’re getting enough sleep for your body to recover. Remember, recovery is just as important as the workouts you do.

6. Get that post-workout protein in. Consuming protein shortly after a workout can help lessen soreness and will help build that lean muscle!