Muscle Soreness After Working Out

A workout program is often considered as the effective way to maintain an ideal body weight, and build strong muscles. But, a workout regime can be quite challenging for beginners, due to muscle soreness, stiffness and pain that they have to go through a day or two after the workout program. Getting muscle soreness after heavy exertion is generally referred as delayed onset of muscle soreness, or in short, DOMS. This type of soreness is quite different from the one that people usually experience while exercising, and also the acute pain that one gets due to injuries like muscle strain or sprain. DOMS can be experienced usually within 24 to 48 hours after the workout program.

What Causes Muscle Soreness?

The exact causes are not known. But, it is believed that breakdown of muscle fibers can take place, while performing a strenuous physical activity. The muscle fibers can get some tiny microscopic tears, which in turn, can produce the soreness within a day or two after performing the particular activity. Such tearing can also be accompanied by inflammation, for which one can get muscle pain as well.

The extent of tearing and the resulting soreness depend on a number of factors including, the type of exercise as well as how strenuous it is. Usually, exercises involving eccentric muscle contractions, especially the ones that cause the muscle to contract quite forcefully, while it lengthens, have been observed to cause more muscle soreness in legs and other parts of the body. However, the same breakdown or tearing of the muscle fibers allows them to grow stronger and larger. But still, the soreness, stiffness, pain and the loss of strength associated with exercising can become quite annoying at times.

How to Get Rid of Muscle Ache?

Massaging the sore muscles gently and application of ice pack are two of the most simple and effective remedies for this problem. Even massaging the muscles shortly after working out and again, a few hours later can help in pain relief to a great extent. Application of ice pack and heat on the other hand, can ease the pain and inflammation of the muscles. In the meantime, it is very important take adequate rest, and avoid any grueling exercise or physical activity. But, simple and light exercises such as, walking and swimming can help to avoid muscle stiffness during this period.

If the inflammation and pain is too severe, then one can take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications. However, for mild soreness and pain, it is better to wait for a few days, and let the soreness subside on its own. Be sure to resume the workout program, only after the soreness goes away completely. For preventing muscle soreness, it is very important to practice warm up exercises prior to the workout session. Gentle and slow stretching exercises performed before and after workouts can reduce the extent of damage to a great extent. However, some recent studies have shown that stretching exercises are not so effective to prevent muscle aches.

Mild to moderate level of pain and muscle soreness after the workout session are quite normal, and go away on their own within a couple of days. But, if the pain, inflammation and the soreness seem to be severe in nature, and persist for a long time, then one should consult a physician to rule out the possibility of muscle sprain and other injuries. On the other hand, it is very important to go slow while exercising to reduce the extent of damage and minimize muscle soreness. This is the reason why, beginners should start a workout session with low intensity exercises, and then gradually go for the high intensity ones.