First, a quick primer on why your body feels like it's failing you. When you work out, your body uses either aerobic metabolism or anaerobic metabolism to create energy, says David Weintraub, medical and sports massage therapist and owner of BodyWorks DW in New York. The former he calls a "clean" burn because it doesn't leave major wastes behind. When you're working out within your comfort zone this is your body's preferred energy-producing method.

But when you push hard, your body switches to anaerobic metabolism, where your body burns glucose energy without using oxygen, explains Weintraub. Because it produces more energy, it gives you that push to get through the end of your workout. However, it also leaves behind byproducts like lactic acid (the evil culprit behind your sore muscles).

Still, that doesn't mean you shouldn't push yourself. "Some soreness is good. It means you're working your muscles to fatigue, and then they can rebuild and grow stronger," explains Kristin McGee, a New York City-based celebrity yoga and Pilates instructor.

But just because your muscles are rebuilding themselves doesn't mean you have to suck it up and deal with the pain.

The tip: Stay away from anti-inflammatory painkillers, like Advil, Motrin or aspirin.

Why it works: According to Weintraub, inflammation is a sign that your body is in healing mode. "Taking steps to lower inflammation (such as compression gear or anti-inflammatories) is impeding your body's healing process," he explains.

"The body uses inflammation to transfer wastes out of the area and replace them with new blood, glucose and the base proteins that will be used to rebuild damaged tissues," explains Weintraub. Taking anti-inflammatories skips over a part of the healing process. Plus, he says Advil can "fool" you into working out when you really need to take a recovery day. This is not as big a deal if you do it rarely, but if it becomes habit those micro-injuries in your muscles will fill in with scar tissue instead of healthy tissue -- which can lead to a more severe injury and cause you to have less flexibility and endurance, he says.

The tip: Eat (or drink) protein within 30 minutes of working out. Egg whites, peanut butter and protein powder are easy ways to get your protein in without it being too heavy. (Seriously, who feels like eating a big old steak or chicken breast immediately after a tough workout? Not me.) Eat often throughout the rest of the day to keep your glucose levels even, says Weintraub. Think: three to four snacks or small meals, and two medium, balanced meals.

Why it works: "Protein is best for recovery as you'll need the amino acids to rebuild and enlarge your muscle fibers post-workout," explains Weintraub.

The tip: Instead of going full-on couch potato or pushing straight back into a tough workout, go for a walk, swim or another low-impact activity.

Why it works: "Your muscles recover on their days off so if you've really hit the gym hard, it's better to take a day or two off before the next hard core workout," says McGee. "That being said, an active recovery as opposed to lying on the couch is best."

Weintraub adds that overall soreness is different from site-specific soreness. "If your whole body feels sore, let's say up to a five on a one to 10 scale with 10 being can't move, and it's not concentrated on one area, than a workout the next day can be okay with adequate hydration and post workout care," he says. However, if your soreness is a six or a 10, he recommends taking the next few days to do light movement as often as possible to help your body flush toxins.

The tip: Take a warm bath with Epsom salts. (We like Dr. Teal's Pure Epsom Salt Detoxify & Energize with Ginger & Clay.)

Why it works: "A nice warm bath is like a good massage," says McGee. Heat expands the body's tissues and relaxes the muscles. There is a lot of conflicting evidence over whether Epsom salts or essential oils work, so Weintraub explains that his recommendation is based on anecdotal evidence -- his own experience along with that of his clients.

"Could it simply be placebo effect from the ritual of drawing yourself a bath and adding in some nice smelling stuff to create some time to take care of yourself? Sure," he says. "My thoughts are, who cares why it works for you. As long as it does actually work ... and if it doesn't work, move on and try something else."