“No pain, no gain.”
You’ve probably heard this expression before when it comes to fitness. If you want to see any kind of benefit, you’re going to need to hurt—right? The thing is, that’s not necessarily true. Yes, while it is true that any kind of physical activity is going to result in discomfort when you’re doing something new or pushing yourself harder, if you’re taking the right kind of care before, during, and after your workouts, you won’t be putting yourself out of commission for days at a time.
Why Do I Get Sore?
Soreness is a natural part of getting stronger. When you exert your body, you’re creating tiny microtears in the muscle tissue you use to perform the movement. Your body then has to repair that muscle, and the muscle grows back stronger than before. But during the repair process, your body feels that sense of soreness.
Sometimes, you’ll feel what’s known as delayed onset muscle soreness. This can strike 24 hours after an exercise and last for a few days. When it’s really bad, you might be left wondering, “Is this even worth it?” If working out leaves you sore for two or three days, you might be tempted to skip your next workout or ever start to reconsider exercising regularly.
That’s why it’s important to avoid doing too much too soon. Instead, be smart about your approach with these seven tips for avoiding or reducing soreness after a workout.
1. Keep your body moving regularly during waking hours. A little bit of light active recovery can increase blood flow to your muscles and keep your body limber while it heals. Take a leisurely stroll, do some stretching, or unwind with yoga.
2. Remember to warm up before and cool down after exercise. A warmup gets your muscles loosened and ready for a challenge so there’s less risk of injury; afterward, a cool-down gives your body a chance to divert blood flow away from your muscles slowly without leaving you lightheaded and fatigued.
3. Give yourself permission to make slow progress. When you do a workout that’s only slightly harder than your last workout instead of much harder, you give your body a chance to adapt. Push yourself to the point of fatigue but not overexertion.
4. If the soreness is bad in the days following an intense workout, take a pain reliever like ibuprofen. This won’t heal your muscles faster, but it can help you tolerate any discomfort, especially if you’re easing your way back into the next phase of your training plan.
5. Don’t neglect rest. Get adequate sleep and plan one to two proper rest days per week into your schedule so that your body has a chance to heal itself.
6. Eat for recovery. Consuming a snack or meal after a workout with a 3:1 or 4:1 ratio of calories from carbohydrates to calories from protein ensures your body has the energy and building blocks to repair muscle after it’s broken down.
7. Get on a split-day routine where you focus on specific muscles or movements each day. One day can be for cardio, another day can be for strength training your upper body, another day for strength training your lower body, and so forth. This way, you can train different muscles while others are recovering.
