OUCH!!!!
We've all been there...right?
You start going to the gym after weeks or years of inactivity or you just feel the need to prove to yourself, maybe others around you, that you can and will lift, press or squat any and all weights to total failure today...
...the next day, you are so sore, you are limping around, and using one arm to help you brush your teeth...
BEEN THERE!
DOMS - delayed onset muscle soreness, is perfectly normal 24-48 hours after your workout, when you are starting an exercise routine. You have stressed your muscles harder than they are used to and as a result they feel sore.
Don't stop exercising!
This soreness is normal. Microscopic tears in the muscle fiber and slight inflammation causes the minor pain. These symptoms are signs that you are leading the muscle to adapt and to better perform the exercises next time.
However, only YOU, would know the difference between the pain of injury and the mild soreness of exercise that no one is immune too. Sore, tight, achy muscles the next day or 2 days after a workout, is normal.
NOT NORMAL is the sudden onset of sharp, severe pain, sudden weakening in a specific muscle or joint, tingling, electric type shock or numbness, or the obvious pain of trauma from a broken bone. If you experience any of these symptoms, immediately seek medical attention.
Here are some tips to ease those aching muscles:
- stretch - 10 min before and after your workout
- anti-inflammatory meds
- ice and heat
- protein - taken 15-30 min after a workout. Believe it or not, chocolate milk has been recently sighted as one of the best recovery beverages after a hard workout. YUMMERS!
"With double the carbs and protein of milk, water or sports drink, it is perfect for replenishing tired muscles. It's water content rehydrates, and calcium, sodium and sugar help the athlete retain energy," says Dr. Joel Stager, Director of the Human Performance Lab at the University of Indiana, in a recent article he wrote for the International Journal of Sports Nutrition.
So grab your shoes, a bottle of chocolate milk and GET YOUR SWEAT ON!
Best Health, Ruthann
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