When you start a new exercise routine or step up the intensity of an old one, there’s a good chance you’ll experience after workout soreness. Soreness after exercise is a natural reaction when a muscle has been challenged in new ways. During exercise, especially weight training, small micro-tears occur in the muscles fibers which leads to inflammation, swelling, and discomfort which can be felt for a few days after starting an exercise routine. Fortunately, soreness after exercise is a temporary phenomenon that subsides within five to seven days, and will, hopefully, be followed by increased strength and firmness. Is there any way to prevent after workout soreness?

The simplest way to avoid soreness after exercise is to avoid making sudden changes in workout intensity. If you’re just starting a workout program, don’t try to conquer the world in a single workout. Start out slow. If you’re weight lifting, use light weights and more reps in the beginning until your muscles have time to adjust to being challenged. There’s plenty of time to increase the intensity once you’ve worked up to it.

Even if you don’t overdo it, you may still experience after workout soreness when you first start working out. Some experts think this can be minimized by applying ice to the muscles immediately after an exercise session. Cold packs or bags of frozen vegetables work well for this. This helps to reduce the inflammation associated with micro-tears in the muscles.

Even what you eat can play a role in the degree of soreness after exercise. Eating a diet rich in anti-inflammatory foods such as omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oils, the spice tumeric, and green tea can help to reduce inflammation after a strenuous workout. One interesting study showed that drinking cherry juice before and after exercise reduces after workout soreness. This isn’t surprising since tart cherries contain anthocyanins – natural chemicals that block inflammation.

Does stretching before and after a workout help? Unfortunately, there’s little evidence that it does. If it feels good, do it, but don’t count on it to keep you from feeling sore.

What do you do if despite your best efforts, you become sore after a workout? Do a lighter workout over the next few days until the soreness subsides. In the meantime, eat anti-inflammatory foods and put ice on the affected muscles. If symptoms are severe and your doctor okays it, you can take a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication for a few days. Be patient and give those sore, aching muscles time to heal.

Filed under: Fitness

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