Post Workout Muscle Soreness

Alison Blanchard - Exercise Specialist

Let's talk about post workout muscle soreness...

You might find after jumping back in to exercise and completing a hard workout, your body is left feeling achy and sore. There’s a reason for this, and it is called DOMS! Read on to learn why this happens and the importance of not allowing this to discourage you, but encourage you!

DOMS - what is it and why do I feel this way?

DOMS stands for Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. It is the pain you feel in your muscles the days after your workout and it is totally normal! DOMS usually happens when you haven't exercised for a while, are doing a new type of exercise, or using a heavier weight than what our body is used to. It could also be a result of exercise that is a bit too intense, too long, or too challenging. The big thing is to not get discouraged by this feeling because it means your body is responding to the exercise you are doing and this can be a good thing! You could almost think of it as: your body is getting stronger!

So why does it happen?

DOMS is caused by micro-trauma to the little fibers within our muscles and in our connective tissue. During your workout, you put your muscles under force which causes your muscle fibers to break down, your body responds by building your muscles back stronger! This can lead to inflammation, swelling, and changes to the level of electrolytes and other fluids near the affected muscles and is what causes the pain.

When does DOMS set in?

You will typically feel DOMS anywhere from 24-48 hours after your workout. Your body feels this way because it is physiologically changing due to the exercise you did. The reason you feel it a few days later is because it takes time for the muscles to begin to repair. As your body and muscles get accustomed to the forces that they are undergoing your body begins to adapt, and get used to this, and the soreness eventually goes away and you can become stronger!

How long does it take to go away?

Don’t worry, DOMS is temporary! It usually lasts between 2-4 days, however in this recovery time you want to help rid the muscles naturally of any excess fluid, and built-up tension. This is the feeling of your body healing itself. The best thing for recovery and to ease the soreness can be through yoga or stretching!

DOMS isn't all bad!

Read on to find out the benefits and how you can help ease the soreness.

What are the benefits of DOMS?

The benefits of this achy, sore feeling is that you know your body is doing what it's meant to and beginning to get stronger. When your muscles are torn down and put under force, your body naturally reacts by building the muscle back up even stronger!

How can I help the healing process?

Take care of your body, go a bit easier on your next workout, and don’t stop exercising! Your muscles are just getting back into the swing of things, you want to keep using and activating those muscle groups so that they can get used to the force which in turn will decrease the impact of DOMS and will help you continue to gain strength!

How can I decrease the impact of DOMS?

Taking a bit of time to make sure you are doing the points listed below will help your muscles be in the best physical shape for your workouts!

Properly warm up and cool down when working out
Make sure you are getting enough water - both during your workout and throughout your day
Fuel yourself appropriately for your workouts and daily living