Muscle Relaxers and Working Out
Updated on July 31, 2025
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Muscle relaxers are a group of medications that are most commonly prescribed for spasms and pain. Common conditions such as lower back pain, tension headaches, endometriosis, and fibromyalgia can cause these symptoms.
Muscle relaxers are also used for spasticity due to neurological conditions such as multiple sclerosis and cerebral palsy. Be aware of the side effects of these medications, because they can affect your workout or make exercise dangerous.
Antispasmodics vs. Antispastics
There are two types of muscle relaxers: antispasmodics and antispastics.
Doctors mainly prescribe antispasmodic relaxants to treat muscle spasms due to musculoskeletal conditions such as low-back pain. The most commonly prescribed antispasmodics include:
- carisoprodol (Soma)
- cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril)
- metaxalone (Skelaxin)
- methocarbamol (Robaxin)
- orphenadrine (Norflex)
Doctors typically prescribe antispastic relaxants to treat spasticity due to neurological conditions such as multiple sclerosis and cerebral palsy. The most commonly prescribed antispastics include baclofen (Lioresal) and dantrolene (Dantrium).
Some muscle relaxers, including diazepam (Valium) and tizanidine (Zanaflex), have both antispasmodic and antispastic effects.
Muscle Relaxers and Exercise
Although there is no definitive scientific research advising for or against the use of muscle relaxers before your workout or while exercising, common sense should prevail. Given that the most common side effects of muscle relaxers are drowsiness and fatigue, consider the potential outcomes.
Exercising while feeling drowsy can be dangerous. If you use exercise equipment such as weights or treadmills, you could get injured. Drowsiness can also make your workout less effective by causing you to get tired early.
Other side effects of muscle relaxers, such as dizziness and blurred vision, may prove to be equally dangerous while working out. Both can affect your balance and could lead to injuries.
Expert Insight on NSAIDs
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) that go on your skin, also called topicals, are typically a first-line treatment for musculoskeletal conditions. NSAIDs that you take by mouth are also widely used.
Topical NSAIDs include diclofenac (Voltaren) and salicylates (Aspercreme, Bengay). These come in cream, gel, liquid, and patch formulations. Compounding pharmacies can make other topical NSAID formulations. NSAIDs taken by mouth include aspirin, celecoxib (Celebrex), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB), naproxen (Aleve), among others.
Your doctor may prescribe a muscle relaxer if you don't get enough pain relief from NSAIDs.
NSAIDs have numerous contraindications, as they can increase the possibility of gastrointestinal (GI) issues, such as heartburn, ulcers, and bleeding; they can also negatively affect kidney function. Some even have so-called “black-box warnings” from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) due to the GI risks, which can be fatal, and life-threatening cardiovascular risks, including heart attack and stroke.
For these and other reasons, NSAIDs aren’t recommended for people with a history of certain GI, cardiovascular, or kidney conditions. The FDA has issued a recommendation that pregnant women avoid taking them after the 20th week of gestation.
Intended for Short-Term Use Only
Muscle relaxers are not meant for long-term use. Recommendations say they shouldn’t be used longer than two to three weeks for acute musculoskeletal conditions.
Side Effects of Muscle Relaxants
Certain muscle relaxers, such as diazepam (Valium) and tizanidine (Zanaflex), are known to have greater sedative properties than others. Until you know how your body reacts to muscle relaxers, you should not exercise, drive, or operate heavy machinery.
Talk to your doctor to find out whether exercise is appropriate for you if you're taking these medications. Other possible side effects of muscle relaxers may include addiction, nausea, headache, dizziness, blurred vision, and dry mouth.
The Takeaway
- Muscle relaxers often cause drowsiness or fatigue. They're typically prescribed for acute musculoskeletal spasm or pain, or for spasticity due to neurological conditions.
- Their side effects make them potentially dangerous to use while exercising, particularly around heavy weights or while using exercise machines.
- Pay attention to how alert you feel while taking muscle relaxants, and consider skipping your workout if you need to take medication beforehand.
- Consult your doctor about how to exercise safely when taking muscle relaxants.
EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
- Muscle Relaxers. Cleveland Clinic. February 7, 2023.
- Tension Headache. Mayo Clinic. September 26, 2023.
- Endometriosis: Pain Management for Adult Women. Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
- Muscle Relaxants. American Fibromyalgia Syndrome Association.
- Godman H. Avoid Workout Injuries. Harvard Health Publishing. February 6, 2017.
- Balance Problems. MedlinePlus. July 7, 2016.
- Clinical Practice Guideline: Management of Acute Musculoskeletal Pain. American Academy of Family Physicians. August 2020.
- Topical NSAIDs Offer Joint Pain Relief. Arthritis Foundation. October 3, 2022.
- Arthritis Pain: Treatments Absorbed Through Your Skin. Mayo Clinic. May 17, 2025.
- Ghlichloo I et al. Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs). StatPearls. May 1, 2023.
- Fields TR. Guidelines to Help Reduce the Side Effects of NSAIDs (Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs). Hospital for Special Surgery. December 9, 2021.
- Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs): Drug Safety Communication - Avoid Use of NSAIDs in Pregnancy at 20 Weeks or Later. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. October 15, 2020.
- Oldfield BJ et al. Long-Term Use of Muscle Relaxant Medications for Chronic Pain: A Systematic Review. JAMA Network Open. September 19, 2024.
- Muscle Relaxants. USC Herman Ostrow Orofacial Pain and Oral Medicine Wiki. December 14, 2023.
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Kristina D. Carter, PharmD
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Kristina D. Carter, PharmD, is a clinical pharmacist and freelance health writer who currently works in a managed care setting, performing quality audits on utilization management ...
Kimberly Rienecke
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Kimberly Rienecke is a certified orthopaedic physician assistant practicing across multiple locations in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area. She began her career as a health and...