All of us who have ever gone to the gym and lifted heavy iron know about the muscle pain which is followed by a decent workout. But the question is, is it good or bad? And why do your muscles get sore after working out?
There’s a scientific name given to this kind of soreness, i.e., Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, or Doms.
You may know that in truth, the building of muscles is actually destroying them. To be specific, when we work out we create tiny micro-tears in our muscle fibers which regrow after we take proper rest. The answer to muscle pain lies here.
Why does our Muscle Pain After We Start Working Out?
Let’s see what actually happens when we work out.
When we work out or do any kind of exercise we are actually breaking down our muscles and tearing them up. Now, this sets up a trigger for our muscles to grow and super compensate for the breaking up and eventually they grow.
There are teeny tiny satellite cells on our muscles that get triggered when damaged and they call out for hep. Then they collaborate with our body to repair the fibers damaged due to our workout and make them stronger!
This whole process causes a little fluid inflammation in our muscles, as extra blood flows in the damaged site. Chemicals that are released from the damaged cells and the repair process causes the pain.
For How Long Does This Muscle Soreness Last?
Normally, muscle pain starts 2-3 days after you start exercising, that is why it’s called Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, or DOMS. During this period fatigue or tiredness also can occur. However, these signs should not be fretted as muscle pain disappears within three to four days. You can also combat soreness by researching online for a Massage Spa near me, to find a local masseuse who can provide you with a deep tissue or sports massage to help aid recovering muscles.
Should You Keep Working Out Even When we are Sore?
When we are in the recovery phase, active recovery can be extremely helpful. It can be beneficial to you if you:
- Do a bit stretching out of these sore muscles.
- Focusing on core strengthening workouts, do light resistance exercises.
- We should also do some low-intensity cardio, like walking and running.
In short, it’s okay to work out when we are sore as muscle pain is actually a part of the process, and the soreness lifts automatically in 3-4 days.
What Should We Do to Prevent Soreness in the Future?
If we want to prevent soreness in the future, all we need to do is:
1. It’s really advisable if we warmup 5-10 minutes prior to our exercise and cool down for a few seconds.
2. Normal Stretching can also be done before, during, and after the workout sessions. But make sure you work up your muscles before you stretch.
3. We need to stay active and move our muscles regularly if we want to recover from soreness faster. The pain lingers more if you take complete rest.
Summing up in Short, Is Muscle Soreness Something to be feared?
To sum this all up, muscle pain after a workout is common and is nothing to be afraid of. You just need to have faith and hit the gym even if the soreness persists.
Don’t worry the pain will reside in 3-4 days, and you’ll be glad as slowly bigger muscles will start appearing as you recover.
So that’s it, folks! Click here if you want to read our special article on the ultimate muscle gain secrets used by the pro.
See ya!