Dealing with Muscle Soreness and Fatigue
Pain is weakness leaving the body. Wow! That’s a cool saying. What’s not so cool is the pain and muscle soreness that accompanies hard workouts.
This pain is known as delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Some people call it muscle fever. The pain and stiffness in the muscles may last for several hours to a few days. This usually occurs in people unaccustomed to exercise or it may occur after strenuous exercise. The soreness is at its peak 24 to 72 hours after the workout.
If you have led a sedentary life for years, do not start your exercise program by training like a ninja when in reality, you’re a neophyte. If you go too hard, you will wake up the next day in so much pain that you’re going to be in agony. You will not be able to exercise because your muscles are stiff and painful.
Initially, you should start small. Maybe workout for 5 to 10 minutes at a slow pace. The following day, do the same thing. Over a period of a week, you may increase the duration to 20 or 30 minutes.
If you’re doing resistance training, put your ego at the door and stick to the light weights. Resistance training has a much higher probability of causing muscle aches and fatigue than cardio sessions.
The 2 keys to note are gradual training and not over-exercising. It can take anywhere from 2 weeks to a month before your body is ready for harder, more intense exercise. There is time. Do not rush it.
You do not want to be in a situation where you have to stop training because you over-trained. This will just delay your results and be a waste of time.
As you progress and start engaging in heavier, more strenuous workouts, there will be days when your muscles ache or you feel fatigued. This is inevitable. However, usually the pain will be isolated to the muscles you have trained and you will be able to endure the pain unlike a beginner who just starts off.
There are a few ways to deal with muscle soreness or fatigue. Follow the points below and help yourself.
1. If you’re about to do a resistance training session, it would be a good idea to do a quick 10 minute walk on the treadmill. This will warm up your muscles and gets the blood flowing.
Next, stretch your muscles and joints. The number one cause for strained muscles, DOMS and sprains is insufficient stretching. Always stretch your muscles and warm up your joints.
2. If you have muscles that ache, take a hot shower but alternate the temperature of the water to 1 minute of warm water and one minute of cold water. Do this for 5 to 6 times.
Each time you are under the warm water, your muscles will expand and when you switch to cold water, your muscles will contract. By doing this repeatedly, you will be squeezing out the lactic acid lingering in your muscles and you’ll feel better.
3. If you really overdid it, you may take an aspirin to numb the pain.
4. You may also wish to get a massage. This will be soothing to your muscles and boost circulation. Do note that massages do not cure muscle pain. They are soothing but you can only heal with time.
5. Drink water or fruit juice and add electrolytes. You should also stay hydrated so that your muscles are less prone to cramping.
These are just some of the ways to deal with muscle soreness and fatigue. Time is the best healer. Rest or sleep if you’re tired. If your muscles ache badly, do not workout for a day or two. Take the time to rest. Pushing through pain may cause you to tear a muscle or result in some other more serious injury.
Train responsibly and don’t be too hard on yourself. You will lose the weight with time. There is no need to suffer in pain unnecessarily. Inch by inch, life’s a cinch. Yard by yard, life is hard.