Should I Be Sore?

Well, you don’t have to be sore. And if you are just starting out you shouldn’t be more than slightly or mildly sore after a workout, otherwise you have done too much. It’s important when starting out to incrementally increase the difficulty of your workouts so that you don’t increase your risk of injury.

Also, when you are super sore, it hinders your activity level for days following the workout. For this reason, take it easy on the first few sessions because it’s different and new, which means you’ll most likely be a tiny bit sore.

This soreness over a few days is known as Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS). Usually showing up 24 to 72 hours after exercise, it’s most commonly seen in people who are new to training or those who have been inactive for long periods of time.

At some more advanced level, you may welcome a small degree of soreness as a sign you pushed yourself during your workout. Again, we don’t want to be so sore that sitting down hurts. What’s the benefit of pushing yourself super hard so you can’t move the rest of the week?

If your muscles are sore, focus on adequate water and protein intake, stretch your muscles, or take a bath with epsom salts and magnesium oil. Easy cardio can actually help to reduce soreness. You may want to take an anti-inflammatory to help relieve pain. Also, if you have a sauna blanket or access to a sauna, this is an incredible recovery tool for sore muscles and inflammation. (#ad)