So I have worked out pretty hard for last few months and I still get sore muscles. Last week I had a reunion with P90X3, Oh my! My upper body is still sore! I have been working out with the 21 day fix which has a lot of weight training and cardio. Switching up my workout goes to show that you still work your muscles in different ways with every fitness routine. So instead of taking a rest day or a few rest days I chose to workout a different muscle group. I’ve done some research on sore muscles since so many challengers experience sore muscles when they first start working out or even if they have worked for a while they can experience muscle soreness when they switch up their workouts.
I often wonder if I should still be working out even with my muscles being so sore. The answer is yes you should continue with your fitness routine. Sore muscles show that you are working hard and becoming stronger. The only way to avoid sore muscles is not workout at all. Which will not going to get you any stronger or healthier.
Mild soreness is natural when starting a fitness routine they’re more prevalent in the beginning stages of a fitness routine.
Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness
Exercise physiologist refers the onset of muscle soreness in the first 24-48 hours after an activity as delay onset muscles soreness (DOMS) and is perfectly normal.
Delayed onset muscles soreness is a result of physical activity that stresses the muscles tissue beyond what they are accustomed to. DOMS occurs when the muscle is performing a lengthening contraction routine. For example, doing squats or a bicep curl.
The muscle strain injury creates microscopic tears in the muscle fibers. Scientists believe that these tears coupled with the inflammation that occurs from these tears causes the pain. These aches and pains are just proof that the muscles are adapting to the fitness routine.
So what can you do to alleviate the pain?
- Ice the area of pain
- Rest the muscle group
- Take an anti-inflammatory
- Message
- Heat
- Stretch this the most important step
Stretching is the most underrated part of any fitness routine. It is so important to stretch those muscles when they are sore as well as when you finish your workout routine. Do not work the muscle area that is sore for a day or two. However, you should still continue to exercise. For example, if your upper body is sore complete a fitness routine that works your legs instead. Swimming and Yoga are great ways to keep your body moving without strain on the muscles. While your body is sore do not expect to set personal fitness records. Most likely during DOMS, your exercise potential will be out of reach.
Keeping the muscles in motion and warm can also give some relief. When the muscles are warm it increases the blood flow to the muscles, which increases the oxygen and healing nutrients to the sore area. The increased blood flow also helps wash away the chemical irritants that are causing the pain.
It is important to understand that muscle soreness is not a goal of any exercise program. We often associate being sore with a good workout (most of the time when we are sore we did a have great workout) but your muscles do not need to be sore to show improvement. Remember it takes time to build to muscle, if you are working so hard that you are consistently sore you are more likely to be unsuccessful with your fitness routine. If muscle soreness is so bad that you are having a difficult time performing normal tasks throughout the day, than that is too much soreness.
Some tips to help prevent soreness in the future:
- Always warm-up for 5-10 minutes and cool-down for at least 5 minutes.
- Only stretch when your muscles are warm from your warm-up; stretch after your warm-up and after you have completed your workout.
- Stay active. The more your muscles move, the faster they will recover from exercise and soreness. The more you stay active the faster the muscle soreness with goes away.
- Foam roller. If you do not have a foam roller you need to invest in one. I use my foam roller almost daily. The roller massages your muscles while slowly working out all soreness. It feels amazing! Find your sore spot and slowly place it on the roller and roll back and forth slowly.
Confidently Fit 