Tips to Help Prevent Post-Workout Muscle Soreness

“No pain, no gain,” is a saying we’ve all muttered to ourselves at one time or another during a particularly difficult workout. We also often use this saying after a difficult workout when muscles are stiff and sore from our efforts.

Delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is common when starting a new exercise program or increasing the resistance, frequency, or intensity of a current workout program.

Although scientists have differing opinions as to what exactly causes DOMS, most believe it stems from a combination of waste products in the muscles and stress-induced microscopic muscle tears and inflammation. Muscle soreness typically begins several hours after the workout and lasts anywhere from 24 – 48 hours.

If there’s a way to avoid muscle soreness all together, I haven’t heard of it. But there are strategies you can use to reduce and/or prevent the most severe cases of DOMS, according to this article in The Denver Post.

Tips to Help Reduce/Prevent Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness

1. Be sure to thoroughly stretch muscles before your workout. Gentle stretching of all the muscle groups you intend to use is said to decrease post-workout soreness, although there are no statistics that state by how much.

2. As important, and possibly even more important, than the pre-workout stretch is the post-workout stretch and cool down. Devote at least 10 minutes to stretching and light aerobic activity after your workout to avoid stiff, contracted muscles.

3. Pay attention to proper form and try not to overstretch muscles when working out. Overextending muscles when using weights is a major cause of injury and soreness – and not the good kind.

4. Avoid doing the same workout two days in a row to allow muscles the chance to fully recover. Not allowing enough time to rest in between workouts can lead to further soreness. Mix up your routine and alternate workouts/muscle groups on different days. When strength training, don’t train the same muscle group on consecutive days.

5. Use heat, gentle stretching and massage to help ease mild discomfort after your workout.

6. Active recovery is much more effective in easing soreness than avoiding activity all together. Taking a long walk the day after a long, tiring run is much better for you than sitting on the couch all day. Keeping muscles in motion increases the blood flow to them and keeps muscles from stiffening up.

7. Over-the-counter pain relievers can reduce pain associated with delayed-onset muscle soreness, but this article states that acetaminophen and ibuprofen may also block muscles from making essential proteins after exercise. So while pain may be diminished, muscle recovery efforts may also be. More studies need to be done on this, however, and by no means should discourage you from taking an OTC pain-reliever if you really need one.

Finally, knowing the difference between delayed-onset muscles soreness and a real injury is essential. DOMS will cause discomfort and mild pain, but shouldn’t interfere with your daily activities.

Don’t worry if you have a regular workout routine and haven’t been sore in awhile. Muscles soreness isn’t an indicator of fitness progress.