Muscle Soreness – I Can Barely Move!!
Muscle soreness is something I truly embrace! I love when I get that really sore feeling because I know I completed a great workout. But I hear some people say “I can barely move!” “I can’t lift my arms!” As much as many people think this is a bad sign I always think its a good thing. This is a sign that your body is changing for the better. Your muscles are reacting to the type of exercise you just performed and you should embrace the muscle soreness! Muscle soreness is a very normal symptom you will almost always get if you push yourself in your workout. The magic happens when you get out of your comfort zone. This is where you will get the extreme results. If you are doing this then you can expect the onset of muscle soreness. There are two different types of muscle soreness which I would like to explain.
Two Types of Muscle Soreness
- Acute Muscle Soreness – This is the muscle soreness you experience immediately following an exercise. The burning feeling you may get right after doing a certain exercise or repetition. This could last for a few hours but is mostly short lived. It is caused by muscle fatigue which occurs when you are truly pushing yourself out of your comfort zone. Most causes of acute muscle soreness are from strenuous exercise but sometimes it could be from injury. So I always say know the difference between being really sore and having extreme pain. If its pain then you should get checked by a Doctor. Don’t make it worse and end up getting seriously hurt.
- Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness – This is sometimes called DOMS and usually occurs within 24-72 hours after your strenuous exercise. Ever workout and notice two days later you are experiencing that extreme muscle soreness? Or you are sore the day after but two to three days later the muscle soreness is even worse? I know this feeling!! I experience this every single week especially after doing a workout like Legs and Back from P90X. I do the workout on a Friday and by the time Sunday rolls around I am hobbling around the house! My wife makes fun of me at times because I walk funny all day. As much as this muscle soreness can be a little of an inconvenience I totally embrace it! This type of muscle soreness can feel like a dull pain sometimes and may even be tender to the touch. A massage at this point could be quite painful for some but great for others.
Muscle Soreness
What exactly causes muscle soreness is still open for debate. Some say its the rupture of your muscle fibers from performing strenuous exercise. Others will say its a build up of lactic acid that cause the muscle soreness. The science behind it is still inconclusive but what we do know is that its a totally normal way for your body to adapt to exercise. It sometimes can affect your range of motion and cause swelling but after a few days these symptoms should subside.
What To Do For Muscle Soreness?
Muscle soreness as stated above will subside after a few days but there are some things that you could do to help with the pain and inflammation. Immediately following strenuous exercise you can ice the affected area and apply ice for the first 24 hours or so. This will help reduce the swelling caused by muscle soreness and allow for a quicker recovery. After 24 hours you can apply heat from a heating pad or even go into a sauna. Getting your blood flowing to the affected area will also help decrease the muscle soreness. Additionally, getting a massage on the affected area is an added bonus if you can tolerate the pain at first. I have got a deep tissue sports massage after a hard workout and will say at first it does hurt but within a few minutes it is the most amazing massage I ever received. There is nothing like a massage to work out the hot spots on your body. You should also stretch your muscles everyday. Stretching your body every day will help the muscle soreness and help your body recover. Stretching is something that we should all incorporate into our everyday life. Its the fountain of youth. One last consideration is to exercise again. Getting the blood flowing throughout your body can definitely assist with alleviating some of muscle soreness you have.
My Secret To Alleviating Muscle Soreness!
This is my little secret to getting rid of muscle soreness. Its the foam roller or more specifically my favorite the rumble roller. Using a rumble roller on your muscles is a way to give yourself a massage right in the comfort of your own home. It helps stretch out your muscles in a way that is very hard to do on your own. With the rumble roller there are little nuggets throughout the rumble roller that give you that massage kneading affect. This is my favorite little gadget that I use frequently that was introduced to me about one year ago. I don’t know what I would do without my rumble roller. I did a complete review on the rumble roller which you can see on My Rumble Roller Review.
Whatever type of muscle soreness you are experiencing learn to accept it and be proud for the workout you just did. Now remember there is a fine line between muscle soreness and muscle pain so make sure if you are in pain you stop. But are if you are simply hobbling around like me after a good workout then go with the flow! Your body is changing and producing the fitness results you are most likely looking for! Keep pushing through and make sure you show up next time to workout! Keep bringing it!!
Your Coach,
DAVE
