Why do you get sore the day after your workout? What causes you to feel stiff and and unable to walk up the stairs? No, you are not injured. The soreness that you are feeling is called DOMS and stands for delayed onset muscle soreness. It can be mild to severe and everyone can be effected by it. Do not be afraid to exercise when you feel it because the more you move the quicker it will go away. Muscle soreness is most commonly felt when you begin a new workout program, change your current routine, or increase the intensityof your workouts. DOMS is caused by microscopic tears in the muscle which creates build up of lactic acid in the muscles causing them to become stiff and tight.
There are lots of methods that you can use to reduce the discomfortof DOMS. People often use static stretching, massage, cardio, epsom salts, or ice baths. You can prevent DOMS from being so severe by doing a proper dynamic warm-up rather than jumping into your workout cold. Make sure to always start with light cardio for 5-10 minutes before your workout. Prior to exercise use a foam roller to roll out your muscles. It is also recommended to cool down with light cardio followed by static stretching. A stretch should be held for a minimum of 30 seconds. Make sure to alter workout intensities each day in order to allow for proper recovery.
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How To Handle DOMS - Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness
1. Drink plenty of water before, during and after your workout. Make sure to drink electrolytes or BCAA's during your workout. The essential salts will help regulate muscular contractions and nerve function as well as give you energy throughout your workout.
2.Espesso or coffee before your workout will increase muscle strength and endurance as well as help to reduce the chance of soreness.
3. Make sure to do a proper warm up and cool down. This will help clear out lactic acid, regulate the heart and help with blood flow.
4. Eat a post workout meal or snack that contains a ration of 4:1 carbs to protein. This will help restore muscle nutrients lost in the muscle during the workout. Chocolate milk is actually a great post workout options.
5. Massage, stretching, foam rolling, and trigger point release post workout also helps to increase circulation, help with tight muscles and reduce muscle tension like knots etc.
6. Take a cold shower post workout. This will help reduce inflammation to the muscles.
7. If you can't handle the cold shower a hot bath with epsom salts will also help blood circulation and inflammation of the muscles.
8. Proper rest. if you are training hard it is recommended that you get a minimum of 60-70hrs of sleep a week. This includes naps. Sleep is when your body recovers and rebuilds muscle. If you are training hard and often the more sleep you need to help those muscles.
