1. Yes, stretch lots afterwards. It's all about lactic acid When you workout (lift weights), lots of lactic acid gets sent to your muscles to help them grow. However, if the lactic acid stays built up in there, you can get really sore. The more you stretch directly after your workout, the less sore you're likely to be the next day.
2. Drink LOTS of water. Again, all about flushing out the lactic acid.
3. Make sure you're eating enough. Sore muscles are good (means they've been worked) but excessively sore muscles are sometimes a sign that they're starving.
4. Make sure you're getting enough sleep (to give your muscles some 'off time' and a chance to recover).
5. Stay active in the days following your workout, but don't lift on really sore muscles. Cardio on off days, or just walking around, or yoga or whatever... is a great way to help flush out the lactic acid. If your muscles are still painfully sore though, take an extra day off from lifting to give them a bit more chance to recover.
6. Hot baths (or saunas or steams) are a good idea, however a BETTER idea is contrast showers (a few minutes hot then a few minutes cold) or anything else that makes your body go from hot to cold within the span of a few minutes. That really helps with recovery!
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