Hard workouts are notorious for causing DOMS, or delayed onset muscle soreness. When you exercise strenuously, small micro tears occur in your muscle fibers. This is more common when a muscle is repeated stretched and stressed, such as occurs when weight-lifting or engaging in plyometric workouts. When you finish your workout, you may feel tired but otherwise fine.
However over the next few days, your body starts rebuilding itself. The inflammation associated with this breaking-down-and-building-up process can lead to muscle aches, stiffness and tenderness. You may feel sore or uncomfortable with certain movements. The soreness cause by inflammation within the muscle during cycle can last for twenty four to forty eight hours, gradually tapering off. As your muscle fibers heal and rebuild, they will be creating new, stronger muscle fiber.
While DOMS can be uncomfortable at best, it does not have to keep you from getting the results you want from your workouts. Avoid doing back-to-back workouts, and let each group of muscles rest between tough workouts. You don’t have to lounge on the couch to get the rest you need, and in fact, too much rest can actually delay recovery. Instead, try to stay active with low-intensity workouts, which can boost blood flow to sore areas. Stretching gently when you work out will keep the muscles limber and comfortable. You may consider working different muscle groups on different days to maintain your progress while still resting the sore areas. Try a natural anti-inflammatory to soothe your aching muscles. Tart cherry juice is an excellent option that may also help minimize pain.
If your muscle acts stiff or the pain persists for more than a few days, is strong enough to interfere with your daily activities, worsens rather than improves or is accompanied by other symptoms, contact your doctor. You may have a mild strain or sprain that would benefit from RICE, or rest, ice, compression and elevation. In most cases, though, post-workout discomfort is DOMS, Instead of fighting it, rest easy knowing that muscle soreness is a sign of a job well done. Your body is simply getting stronger and fitter. Within a few weeks, you won't just be able to feel the results; you will also start to see them.
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