How To Deal With Muscle Soreness After Exercise
We’ve all been there, you wake up the morning after what felt like a great workout the day before only you no longer feel the kick of the endorphins and instead feel sore and achy.
Rest assured this is 100% normal, especially when you start a new training programme. Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) occurs because during training you cause micro-tears in the muscles, and whilst a muscle tear is a serious injury, these micro-tears are normal and part of the process by which your muscles grow bigger and stronger. The recovery and healing of your muscles is what causes the achey and tender feeling you might be familiar with.
Soreness after a workout isn’t particularly pleasent so….
Here Are 5 Tips To Deal With DOMS:
Be Kind To Your Body
Whilst totally normal, soreness is a sign that your body has a lot of recovering to do to repair the muscles you worked on during your session so be kind to your body, consider coming in for some treatment. Chiropractic & massage is a great option to help your body feel better.
Rest and Recover
Taking 24 to 48 hours rest from heavy training is a good idea when you’re sore. This is a great time to implement active recovery exercises, such as walking, swimming or cycling.
Sleep and Nutrition
Good sleep and good nutrition is the recipe to help your body heal itself and prepare for your next workout. We’re all different, but aim for at least 8 hours of sleep and have a balanced diet that includes enough protein and carbohydrates to fuel your muscles.
Stretching
Balance strength and endurance training with stretching to help reduce muscle soreness and prevent injury. Adding a few basic stretches to your morning and evening routine is especially helpful when dealing with DOMS.
Keep Moving
Light movement helps to loosen up tight muscles and is part of active recovery as we mentioned above.