Are you having Muscles Soreness - Don't Avoid Exercising?
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Muscles Soreness
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Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS)
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Bodybuilders also get Muscle Soreness:
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How to Ease Aching Muscles?
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Heat Wrap for Muscle Soreness:
Sore Muscles or Muscles Soreness:
Muscle soreness is common among people who have a regular routine of exercises. Soreness in the muscles occurs after heavy workouts. However, it is considered a positive sign as it shows strength in muscle. Choosing the exercises is difficult as well as challenging. You have to create time, make diets, balancing the nutrition and most importantly setting goals. All these things are hard enough for a single person. Muscle soreness would be the first thing asking you to stop exercising. It comes immediately after starting the above-mentioned routine and it may make you lazy in the matter of workouts.
Most of the people stop visiting their gyms when they face muscle soreness. They prefer to stay in bed especially when the arms, shoulders, leg, and back hurts. Experts say that muscle soreness is common when you start a new activity or involve the body in something new especially hard physical exercises. Rick Sharp says that “Our muscles experience huge stress when we exercise at gyms.” Rick is working at Iowa State University as a Professor of Exercise Physiology. “Most people experience muscle soreness in the beginning when they start exercising or some face it when they switch to next level workouts” Rick added.
Read More: Quick Treatment for Stiffed Muscles
Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness:
The delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is a condition in which the body gradually faces increasing irritation or discomfort. This condition happens within a short period of 24 to 48 hours after physical activity. However, this condition is perfectly normal and it is considered positive.
Experts working in sports medicines and other athletic training programs believe that muscle soreness is a result of a continuous physical activity which puts stress on the tissues of muscles. This stress creates a burden on the muscles as they were not accustomed to. On the other hand, these experts also believe that delayed onset muscle soreness also happens when someone starts an exercise aiming to stretch muscles for lengthening or eccentric contraction. For example, if you are running downhill with little speed then you will experience lengthening of the bicep curl. This may create tiny microscopic tears in the muscles. A muscle strain injury which is mild in nature can cause damage to the fibers of muscles. According to medical scientists, these microscopic tears can cause pain and lead to other issues if coupled with inflammation.
Carol Torgan writes in a review that “pains and aches should be mild and these are signs of muscle adaptation. These pains show that your muscles are getting familiar with a new exercise routine.” Carol is a professional exercise physiologist and he is a fellow of American College of Sports Medicines.
Bodybuilders also get Muscle Soreness:
Remember, no one has immunity against muscle soreness. Experienced bodybuilders also report muscle soreness when they regularly exercise at the gym. Torgan says that anyone including a warrior, athlete or a bodybuilder can get muscle soreness or cramps. Muscle soreness is a natural system of adapting new workouts especially when the muscles are involved. This shows that muscles are adjusting with the new fitness level and these are getting better. This is also an indication of muscle strength as putting more stress stretches the muscles too. You will find similar exercises easy and smooth next time. There is a need to guide the people who want to begin an exercise program. People who have no guidance can find muscle soreness troubling and they can quit this routine immediately. The big issue is that most people who are regular in exercising usually experience muscle soreness.
They usually prefer to start exercises without guidance. This is not a good practice as it motivates people to give up. According to experts, people who face muscle soreness should not stop exercising. They should continue with their routine as they make their muscles ready to face the pressure. If you successfully manage to continue with muscle soreness then you can easily handle it quickly. Fitness trainers at gyms can guide the bodybuilders about this issue. Tell them that muscle soreness is not a big issue and it will disappear with the passage of time.
Read More: Post-Run Soreness: Should You Be Concerned?
How to Ease Aching Muscles?
How to alleviate pain? Unfortunately, there is no panacea available for the DOMS. Fitness trainers and exercise physiologists are still unable to discover some realistic approaches to the prevention. However, there are multiple remedies available to heal the muscle soreness. These remedies include rest, ice, NSAID’s medicines, cold/heat massage, and stretching. These techniques have been reported with several advantages.
Flexibility and stretching are underrated techniques, says Sharp. “Trainees don’t stretch enough when they exercise” he adds. Unnecessary stretching is also bad for the bodybuilders. Stretching the muscles beyond the capacity may lead to muscle spasm to tightness and contraction. Experts believe that people should take it easy. They should continue with light exercises until the muscle soreness disappears. They should switch to swimming, walking, jogging or any other lightweight exercise. You can keep your muscles in regular motion to control pain. Probably, the most important step is to cool down when you finish the exercises. Focus on simple aerobic workouts such as jogging which will stretch the muscles while warming up your body. This should be done at least 10 minutes before starting an exercise.
Read More: Best Ice Pack for Back Pain and Soreness
Heat Wrap for Muscle Soreness:
At Brigham Young, experts are organizing research trials to find the effect of heat massage for control of muscle soreness. Clinical tests confirm that using air-activated heat wrap was beneficial for the treatment of muscle soreness. This can easily control the increasing pain in the muscles. Warming up before the exercises increase the body temperature. The body increases the blood flow which brings fresh air carrying oxygen with healing nutrients. These things reach an injured site such as muscle, ligament or fibers. Increasing blood flow is also helpful to wash the chemical irritants causing pain in the injured site.
In the case of muscle soreness, there is no need to be serious about fitness goals. It is a different matter. You can achieve the fitness level gradually with or without muscle soreness. There is no need to think about immediate treatments or surgeries. This is a general issue and it should be treated according to customs practices. Bodybuilders facing this issue should switch to light exercises such as swimming or walking. Those who are experienced should not think about it. They can continue with previous activities. However, they should focus on the ice pack which is a perfectly modern way of Hot & Cold Therapy. Applying this coldest ice pack on areas where the pain is present provides quick relief.
Muscle Health:
The DOMS has a specific targeting routine. It always appears in the body parts involved in exercises. For example, if you are jogging then muscle soreness will appear in the backside of the lower legs. Similarly, if you are lifting weights then your shoulders or upper arms will face the issue. The bodybuilders can give rest to sore muscles while using the uninjured ones. Don’t be worried about muscle health. You are going normally. All you have to assume is general fatigue in the muscles that will remove within a few minutes.
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Never Get In Rut:
According to Torgan, the muscle soreness is just like a muscle conditioning process. “Muscle soreness is just like repeated bout effect,” he adds. When someone starts any activity, the muscles also start to take responsibility. As this responsibility is new for the muscles so they show little resistance. This resistance is not a denial but it is an indication of acceptance. Your muscles are stretching so they are going to get stronger in the future. The recovery timing of the muscle soreness depends on the level of soreness. This is a reason why athletes to use cross-training while changing the exercise schedule in order to develop more strength. This routine also provides them strong willpower to accept the physical challenges.
What level of muscle soreness is bad? As mentioned above, the muscle soreness is a positive indication of adaptation to new routines. It is necessary to monitor your physical health and activities. If soreness doesn’t allow you to continue exercises then you should take considerations. Ignoring the swelling, tenderness or pain in the muscles could be bad. Therefore, it is recommended to take precautionary measures before it’s too late. It would be great to see your doctor when pain hurts.
Selection of Workout:
On the other hand, physical health experts including Torgan and Sharp believe that muscle soreness usually disappears within a few days or weeks. Various people show a different response in this matter. Some take longer while some get back to their routines quickly. All these things depend on the intensity of exercises as well as your adjustment to a new routine. You can use painkillers in case of moderate pain in the muscles. Soreness always plays a vital role as it is encouraged for the athletes involved in different workouts. If you are carrying heavier weights then you will get severe muscle soreness. You must be careful in the matter of workout selection as your muscles will never become visible overnight.
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