If you set yourself a resolution to get into better shape this year, you’re not alone because according to a recent YOUGOV the number one resolution was to exercise more. This was followed by, saving money, eating healthier, and losing weight. At that time, of course, we didn’t know Covid-19 was around the corner. Still, if you are among the many who started off with the intention of going hard in the gym, torching body fat or building muscle – that’s something to celebrate. You should be happy you want to get inspired to either begin working out or reinvigorate the passion and intensity of your existing workouts. But if you’ve just started out or have been pushing yourself to new heights with personal bests, your muscles may be feeling pretty sore right now. This means you’re also likely questioning if you should keep working out while your muscles are in so much pain – no pain no gain, right? To work out, or not work out while your muscles are sore… which is the smartest route to magnificent improvements?
Normal Pain
First off, don’t worry about the agony, providing you can take it mentally. The muscle soreness you’re experiencing is totally normal – we’ve all been there. It is referred to as delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). DOMS occurs as a result of exercise. It is microscopic damage to muscle tissue that occurs while exercising – often called micro-tears. The topic of DOMS is an area of interest and study among athletes, exercise enthusiasts, and exercise scientists. Let’s face it, if you’ve experienced the pain from DOMS you want answers
So then, what’s the answer to the question, should you keep exercising if you’re experiencing DOMS? Yes, but also maybe no. If the pain is completely intolerable, then don’t. Make sure you fully rest and recover. If the pain is that agonizing it may be more than DOMS. You don’t want to risk serious injury so always consult a professional if you’re unsure, especially if you’ve heard or felt a snap, tweak or movement in an unnatural direction.
Workable Pain
If the muscle soreness is for the most part bearable, then don’t let it sideline you because you should continue to exercise – but, ensure you exercise very strategically. A well-constructed training program should be designed to allow for, and encourage, muscle recovery, which typically takes somewhere around 48-72 hours. For example, if you trained your chest on Monday (international “chest day”) and your chest is really sore on Wednesday, don’t train it again. Instead, train another body part that doesn’t use any of the chest’s supporting muscles groups, such as calves, legs, lower back or abs. Alternatively, you could consider some light aerobic exercise to get the blood flowing because a study in >The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research showed that massage and active recovery exercises actually yielded similar results when helping offset DOMS. This means the expense and time of a trip to the massage therapist can be completely offset by walking gently to their premises then walking home – providing they don’t live 20 miles away.
