1. "I love this feeling!! Feels like I've been hit by a bus but I love it! Man, I know I had a great workout!"
OR
2. "What the heck happened?!? I injured something! I am never going to workout again!! What's wrong with my body??"
Why this soreness occurs
The scientific term for the soreness is DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness). The intensity of the soreness increases in intensity over 24 hours post workout, peaking at 24-72 hours post workout (why you often feel the worst two days later) and then gradually subsides over 5 to 7 days. During this time your muscles may feel sore to move and possibly even to touch. You will feel as though you have a significantly reduced range of motion through the joint. As for why it occurs, there are a few suggested reasons:
minute tears in the muscle tissue,
fluid buildup in surrounding tissues,
muscle spasm, and/or
overstretching and possible tearing of connective tissue.
The first possible cause seems to be the most widely accepted. As we work out or participate in new activities that our body has not done for a while, we create tiny tears in the muscle which cause an inflammatory response. It is this response that causes the stiffness and discomfort.
Reducing the pain and/or stiffness
While you may not be able to completely avoid the soreness there are some steps you can take after your next workout to hopefully reduce your discomfort.
1. Avoid heat or hot tubs immediately after your workout. The heat actually brings more inflammation to the area. You'll feel much better if when having your post-workout shower turn the water as cold as you can stand it and let it run over your legs (or body parts that you worked that day). The cold will actually reduce inflammation and hopefully decrease the soreness.
2. Stretch! While the research is torn on whether or not this actually helps with soreness, you may as well try it and see. It certainly won't hurt you :)
3. Force yourself to do the cardio the following day and the next too! As sore as you feel when you first start moving the best thing you can do is move and get the blood following to clean up the inflammation. I promise you that as much as the first 5 to 10 minutes may be uncomfortable, it will get better and you will feel much less stiff after. The more you sit, the stiffer and stiffer you will become.
I'm not feeling sore anymore...
If you are one of those people who LOVES the soreness post-workout, you will be disappointed to learn that every workout will not and should not make you sore the next few days. DOMS is not an indication of how good of a workout you had. I cannot stress this enough... DOMS is NOT and indication of your workout intensity! As your body becomes use to working out and participating in the activities, the soreness will diminish or completely go away.
You need to gauge your workout intensity DURING your workout. If you are not giving 100% or you leave feeling like you could have done a lot more, chances are you need to increase your intensity. But if you left feeling like you gave what you could to the workout or activity, you intensity was perfect. It is certainly not our goal to make you feel like you've been hit by a bus for a week after seeing us!
Questions or comments, we would love to hear them!
In Health,
Jessica & Tristan Zapata
Reducing the pain and/or stiffness
While you may not be able to completely avoid the soreness there are some steps you can take after your next workout to hopefully reduce your discomfort.
1. Avoid heat or hot tubs immediately after your workout. The heat actually brings more inflammation to the area. You'll feel much better if when having your post-workout shower turn the water as cold as you can stand it and let it run over your legs (or body parts that you worked that day). The cold will actually reduce inflammation and hopefully decrease the soreness.
2. Stretch! While the research is torn on whether or not this actually helps with soreness, you may as well try it and see. It certainly won't hurt you :)
3. Force yourself to do the cardio the following day and the next too! As sore as you feel when you first start moving the best thing you can do is move and get the blood following to clean up the inflammation. I promise you that as much as the first 5 to 10 minutes may be uncomfortable, it will get better and you will feel much less stiff after. The more you sit, the stiffer and stiffer you will become.
I'm not feeling sore anymore...
If you are one of those people who LOVES the soreness post-workout, you will be disappointed to learn that every workout will not and should not make you sore the next few days. DOMS is not an indication of how good of a workout you had. I cannot stress this enough... DOMS is NOT and indication of your workout intensity! As your body becomes use to working out and participating in the activities, the soreness will diminish or completely go away.
You need to gauge your workout intensity DURING your workout. If you are not giving 100% or you leave feeling like you could have done a lot more, chances are you need to increase your intensity. But if you left feeling like you gave what you could to the workout or activity, you intensity was perfect. It is certainly not our goal to make you feel like you've been hit by a bus for a week after seeing us!
Questions or comments, we would love to hear them!
In Health,
Jessica & Tristan Zapata
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