How to Soothe Sore Muscles
By Sara Butler
Nothing feels quite as good as a hard workout. There’s something about pushing yourself and succeeding (as well as sweating) that just feels fantastic. What’s not so great about a workout where you pushed your limits is waking up the next morning feeling as if you went one-on-one with Bruce Lee -- and lost. The muscle soreness you can experience after a workout can really take the wind out of your sails. Luckily, there are a few things you can do to help keep the soreness to a minimum. What you need to do to feel better depends on the type of soreness you’re experiencing, so here are the different kinds of muscle soreness and what you can do to ensure walking to the bathroom in the morning isn’t a form of torture.
Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS)
DOMS is the most common type of post-exercise soreness that makes you feel as if you’ve been beaten by a merry band of ninjas the day after a difficult workout. This kind of soreness usually sets in anywhere from one to two days after a workout. It’s caused by your body’s normal adaptive process, a process where your muscles tear microscopically. As your body works to repair the muscle and rebuild it even stronger, the lingering soreness sticks around for a few days. Occasionally, the soreness you feel on the second or third day can be worse than the first -- and that’s totally normal.
You can prevent this type of muscle soreness -- or keep it from being so extreme -- by making sure to stretch and properly cool down after a workout. It’s also vital that you slowly increase the intensity of your workout so that you gradually challenge your muscles and build strength over time.
Long-Term Soreness
If you’re sore for longer than three days, then welcome to the world of long-term muscle soreness -- a world that means you really went beyond your limits during your workout. If you’re new to a workout or you haven’t performed a physical activity in a long time, then this type of soreness is probably what you’re in store for.
You can prevent this type of soreness by easing slowly into a new workout routine, both in duration and intensity. Help your muscle repair by doing some yoga or swimming, but if it lasts more than four or five days, then definitely seek a medical opinion.
Muscle soreness is a part of a workout, but there are ways to minimize it. Talk to your chiropractor at The Joint for more strategies to help.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Shiloh, Ill.