Rest

• A small amount of muscle soreness is normal after a good workout, but it shouldn't be an unbearable pain. If you're experiencing muscle pain that interferes with daily activities, you need a break. Cancel any scheduled workouts for the next few days. One full day off of exercise is good, though two are better. If you go right back to working out, your pain could get worse and may further injure your already sore muscles. Taking a few days of rest will heal the small tears in your muscles, limiting the sore feeling throughout.
  
  While resting away from exercise, avoid any other physical exertion that uses your overly sore muscles. For instance, if your arms are sore from a tough upper body workout, avoid lifting heavy objects during your rest period.
  
  

Cold and Heat Therapy

• Both cold and heat therapy relieves the pain you're feeling in your muscles. Though they can be used separately, alternating between heat and cold works better at curing sore muscles. It helps reduce the inflammation in your muscles and lets you relax and rest.
  
  For cold therapy, use an ice pack on your sore muscles. Cover the ice pack in a thin towel and hold it against the area. Avoid using an ice pack on the same area for more than ten minutes at a time. If you have muscle soreness over your entire body, consider filling up a bath tub with ice water and submerging your body in the mix for about five minutes.
  
  A warm bath is a great way to administer heat therapy. While you could use a hot water bottle, a bath will also help you relax, loosening your tight muscles. Get in the hot bath shortly after using your cold therapy to increase the chances of eliminating the soreness in your muscles.
  
  

Stretching

• Even if you use rest along with cold and heat therapy, the soreness can still come back from a tough workout. Stretching before and after exercise will help prevent sore muscles from occurring next time you exercise. According to the Mayo Clinic, it's bad to stretch when your muscles are cold. Before a workout, warm up by walking for five minutes or by doing some jumping jacks. Once muscles are warm, do stretches that correspond to the muscles you plan on using during the exercise. After your workout, use more stretches as a way to cool down and relax your tight muscles, limiting soreness. For stretches specific to different muscle groups, visit the "Stretching Exercises" link in the resources section at the bottom of this article.