Do your frequent visits to the gym constantly end up resulting in aches and pains the following morning?
Studies have proven that you are not the only one who goes through this. According to medical information hub, Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, this is a common complaint received by many athletes or those involved in active training during their leisure time.
The reason for this is often linked to how often you train or change your workout routine.
“It’s normal to have some pain, stiffness, and swelling after starting a new physical activity program. It may take 6 to 8 weeks for your joints to get used to your new activity level, but sticking with your activity program will result in long-term pain relief,” explains the above-mentioned source.
Wellness publication Houston Methodist further explains that the reason why this is common for all active people is due to our ability to build muscle the same way.
What this means is that in order to build muscle we need to break down muscle first.
Lauren Murray, who is a health and fitness coordinator at Houston Methodist highlights the following: “The extra load placed on your body during exercise creates tiny micro tears in your working muscle.
“These micro tears are normal. In fact, they’re necessary for muscle growth. But these micro tears are also what lead to soreness.”
Meanwhile, lifestyle publication Healthline, has says the correct term to describe this feeling is called – Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS). It is further explained that the pain occurs between 12 to 24 hours after you trained, and peaks at one to three days before easing down.
Symptoms
Some of the symptoms include, a reduced range of motion, muscle fatigue, pain when stretching, swelling in the affected area, and lastly the short-term loss of muscle strength.
Furthermore, although there is no real way of escaping the pain that comes with an intense workout the following day, there are several ways that you can ease it.
Below are some examples of what you can do:
- Massage the area.
- Take a cold bath.
- Take a warn bath.
- Eat anti-inflammatory foods.
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