When you exercise, small tears occur in muscle fibers, ultimately leading to late-onset soreness a day or two later. This isn't a bad thing. Unlike the infamous and gravely mistaken fitness maxim "no pain, no gain," -- which used to stress pushing the body to near the point of injury -- soreness is one case when a little discomfort is normal.

Still, normal or not, feeling sore doesn't exactly brighten your day. Thankfully, research out of the University of Vermont suggests that reducing post-workout soreness is as easy as cherry pie.

I know the expression is "easy as apple pie, " but I'm trying to get to the point that tart cherries have pain reducing properties, so work with me here. OK? Cool. As I was saying, tart cherries, when eaten twice a day, can help ease you through discomfort. And, as an added bonus, the anti-inflammatory properties that help with soreness can also help lower your risk of cardiovascular complications.