Everything You Want to Know About Post-Workout Muscle Soreness

When you’re working hard to achieve your fitness goals, it’s inevitable that you’ll be hit with muscle soreness from time to time. Have you ever wondered why you’re more sore after trying a new pilates class, versus your old reliable workout? Or how to know when you’ve pushed yourself too far? In this blog post we’ll touch on some of the most common questions we get asked about muscle soreness and share tips on how to ease the pain.

Why am I sore?

You are likely to feel some muscle soreness any time you do a workout that uses your muscles in a new way or push yourself harder than usual. When you are sore right after a workout, it’s a simple sign that your body is tired. When the soreness is delayed until the next day, it’s called delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Experiencing DOMS is a sign that your new workout or higher intensity created microscopic tears in your muscle fibers. This sounds scary, but after your body heals the microscopic tears, your muscles will become stronger.

How do I know good pain vs bad pain?

We’d be remiss not to mention that there are different types of pain after a workout. Normal muscle soreness should be mild, should go away after a few days, and should not be sharp or come on suddenly.

Is there any way to prevent muscle soreness?

The best way to minimize soreness after exercising is to ease into new workout programs slowly and gradually increase intensity on your current workouts.

What can I do to relieve muscle soreness?

Nothing is guaranteed, but these tricks are your best bet for getting relief from muscle soreness:

Stretch your body
A gentle yoga session or some simple stretches will go a long way in reducing muscle fatigue. Using a foam roller can amp up your stretch session.
Get a massage
Not only does a massage feel wonderful on sore muscles, but research shows that massage reduces inflammation after a workout and helps your body recover.
Do a recovery workout
Working out again is the probably the last thing you want to do when you’re sore, but hear us out first. A light walk will help you feel much better. If you’re feeling ambitious, you can do a workout focusing on areas of the body that are not sore.
Take an epsom salt bath
To help your muscles relax, take a warm bath with epsom salts.
Get a good night’s sleep
Make sure you are getting enough rest to allow your body time for recovery. A tough workout is a great excuse to get a little extra sleep.
Reframe your mindset
Although it’s not fun to feel sore after a workout, it can help to keep a positive mindset about it. A little soreness is a signal to you that you’ve been working hard and that your body is changing.