Introduction:
Starting a workout will be challenging for most individuals. Allocating time to exercise, creating a schedule, and setting goals is difficult. Additionally, the muscle soreness after the workout regimen will make it even more complicated. Soreness may be noticeable to extremely painful, depending on the type and intensity of the workout. This is because muscles go through quite a bit of physical stress during exercise, and the soreness is a natural process.
Why Does Muscle Soreness After Exercise?
Muscle soreness after exercise is normal. But it can be debilitating and discourage people from further exercise. It can be experienced by beginners or experienced people who work out regularly but recently increased the intensity, type, or duration of their workout routine. Typically, muscle soreness is a signal of muscle tissue damage or micro-tearing after exercise. When this damage happens, the repair process is initiated by triggering inflammation at the site of injury. Fluid accumulates in the injured site and puts extra pressure on the injured areas, causing a sensation of tightness and pain, which begins to develop 12 to 24 hours after a workout.
While a little bit of damage during all exercise is common, in certain types of extensive workouts, higher levels of damage can cause severe soreness, particularly involving a lot of eccentric movements (where the muscle lengthens under load). These movements can cause more damage and pain than other workouts like concentric exercises (where the muscle is working as it shortens).
As the healing and repairs of the tiny tears take place in the body, muscle builds back healthier and stronger than before. The sore muscles after a workout occur due to the muscle healing process, and this soreness is referred to as delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) because it does not happen immediately after a workout.
How to Reduce Muscle Soreness After Exercise?
While doing exercise for muscle building or strengthening, some soreness is inevitable.
It is an indication the muscles are getting stronger, so there is no danger in just continuing the workout. However, it can be uncomfortable to drive further. Fortunately, there are a few things that could help ease the pain.
1) Hydration:
Staying hydrated is essential for muscles to recover from injury. Staying hydrated keeps the fluids in the body moving through the system. This will ease inflammation, deliver nutrients to the muscles, and flushes out waste products.
2) Do Not Skip Warm-Up:
Be sure to practice warm-up before work-out. It is important to protect the muscles by making sure they are primed for use before a workout. Always allow a few minutes for warm-up before every workout.
3) Progress Slowly:
It is important to progress slowly into a new exercise program. Do not try to kick start with an intense workout that does not do any favor to the muscles. Give the body good time to adapt, it can help limit the severity of the soreness. So before starting a new workout routine or intensity, go slowly over the course of several days.
4) Do Light Exercise After a Day of Intense Workout:
Sore muscles require some rest, but that does not mean complete rest. Perform some gentle movements like restorative yoga, light resistance training, walking, swimming, or cycling. The main aim is to avoid performing intense workouts with the same muscle groups on consecutive days. The blood movement to the sore muscles is required for oxygen and nutrient delivery without causing more damage to the muscle tissues.
5) Eating Healthy After an Intense Workout:
Eating nutrients and healthy food after an intense workout will repair the muscles and help them grow back stronger. The recovery process may also be enhanced. It is necessary to take adequate amounts of protein and carbohydrates within 30 minutes of an intense or long workout. Proteins rebuild the muscles, and carbohydrates replenish the fuel stores of the muscles used during the workout.
6) Using a Foam Roller or Massage Gun:
A technique called self-myofascial release (SMR) releases tension in muscles and connective tissues. There are many tools like lacrosse balls, foam rollers, and massage sticks used in the self-myofascial release by helping to move the accumulated fluids in the muscle after exercise. Studies have shown that foam rolling may reduce DOMS and help increase the range of motion. Additionally, massaging with these tools increases circulation and delivers nutrients and oxygen to the affected area. It helps reduce tenderness and swelling.
Massage guns are also a commonly used tool to promote post-workout muscle recovery, which works similarly to massage in general. The handheld of these machines produces vibrations, so when the machine is placed on the muscles, it enhances blood flow to that area.
7) Taking Painkillers:
During severe soreness, it is advisable to take a painkiller, but doing so may sacrifice the muscle-rebuilding process. This will not speed up the muscle-healing process but only ease the discomfort associated with it. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like Naproxen and Ibuprofen may be helpful in reducing muscle soreness, but studies have shown that they may also prevent the muscles from growing back stronger and bigger.
How Can the Pain Caused by Exercise Be Treated?
The treatment of pain or aches caused by exercise are as follows.
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Reduce the intensity of the exercise or stop it for a short period. The duration of rest often depends upon the severity of the pain. Typically doctors advise patients not to do anything that hurts. It is necessary to maintain stamina or aerobic capacity when resting a body part. So it is recommended to perform other exercises that do not cause much pain. For example, if the knee hurts, exercising upper extremities or lower extremity exercises like aqua jogging or swimming that do not aggravate the main problem can be performed.
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An ice pack or ice massage for 20 minutes after a workout will ease the pain. This can be followed daily after exercising for several weeks. If pain persists even after the use of ice, it is an indication of serious problems, so consulting a doctor is a must.
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Acupressure in the tender points will help in managing pain. In acupressure, instead of using tiny sterile needles, pressure is applied using fingers, palms, or elbows to get similar results as acupuncture.
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Over-the-counter pain relievers or anti-inflammatory agents are also helpful in relieving pain. These medicines include Acetaminophen, Naproxen, Ibuprofen, and Aspirin, which effectively reduce pain and swelling.
Conclusion:
Workouts can lead to muscle soreness, which usually appears after 12 to 24 hours of physical activity and may last up to four to five days. It can be experienced by any individual, from beginners to experts. It may feel very uncomfortable. However, it does not require any medical attention, simple home remedies and a change in workout pattern can reduce the soreness. If the pain is very severe and uncomfortable, consulting a physician is a must.
