If you’re new at the exercise game, or just starting to ramp up the intensity, more than likely, you’re going to feel pretty sore.
What do most people do when they feel achy post-exercise (DOMS)? Rest. What do we say to that? Wrong!
What is DOMS?
DOMS stands for Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. This is when you may feel great while exercising, but pushing your body in a way it’s not used to will cause the muscles to hurt afterwards. Usually not immediately (hence the “delayed”), but probably a day or two (or even three or four) after.
DOMS is generally considered to be the body’s natural inflammatory response to exercise that it’s not used to doing. While it can be serious, in most cases, it’s just a burning or aching sensation that you’ll feel.
No one is free from risk of DOMS, even frequent exercisers, but it’s particularly likely to affect you when you just start out exercising.
How Can You Treat DOMS?
If you’re experiencing severe or debilitating pain, then you may try taking an anti-inflammatory medication, like ibuprofen, or applying heat. But:
You know what we find the best way of getting over a bout of DOMS is? Getting back to working out.
If you’re new to exercise, then you should seek the advice of a professional or try a plan in a supportive community like The DVCC. We can ensure that you’re doing the right exercises that may leave you feeling a little sore, but won’t cause any serious or lasting damage.
If you just go recklessly down to the gym and start lifting too much weight for your body to stand, you’ll risk a serious injury. So, based on the proviso that you’re doing the right exercise:
The more frequently you can train, the less sore you’ll be.
You don’t have to take my word for it, but just try it. It may feel a little hard at first, but once you’ve pushed through your body’s pain barrier, it will start to ease off.
So, get back in for another session as soon as you can. It may feel counter-intuitive and you may have been told that you should rest up. But unless you’re recovering from an injury or a major even like child birth, then the more the better.
If you only train once a week, you’re much more likely to be sore than if you train four or five times a week.
And of course, team up your exercise plan with the right foods and supplements that will help ease tension on your joints, like magnesium and proteins to repair muscle fibre. And stick with it! The pain will soon pass.
