You felt fine during workouts, why is your muscle sore the next day?
The soreness you’re feeling after a workout or running session is quite normal. It could happen to the best of athletes, not just to newbies. Depending on your prior activity, the soreness could last from a day to a few days.
What is it?
What you’re experiencing is actually called Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) which usually occurs after physical activities that are strenuous and intense.
Photo by Fit Approach / (CC BY-SA 2.0)Who can get affected?
1. Newbie who had just started exercising
2. When starting a new exercise program
3. Athletes who recently changed their exercise routine
4. After increasing the duration or intensity of a regular workout.
How to avoid muscle soreness?
Sadly you can’t actually avoid DOMS, however, there are things you can try that may reduce the muscle soreness.
1. Take it easy if you’re just starting to exercise
2. Increase training workload slowly.
3. Start any new exercise program gently and gradually.
4. Allowing the muscle time to adapt to new movements and exercise
Photo by Via Tsuji / (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)How to relieve muscle soreness?
A lot of people would be asking, should I go see a doctor for muscle soreness? Actually, for minor muscle discomfort, home remedies would have been more than sufficient. However be wary if your soreness is accompanied by other symptoms such as trouble breathing, dizziness, extreme muscle weakness etc. If that happens, maybe it’s time to seek medical help, pronto.