Sore Sore Sore Muscles

After what I like to think of as an extended Christmas break, I finally went back to the gym to begin my “regular workout routine” this week. I worked out here and there over the last few months but have not had a regular, 3 day a week workout schedule. After trying to make many excuses to not go to the gym, I finally went. I attended my regular “lifting” class which consists of lifting free weights and aerobic conditioning. I knew I needed to lift lighter and not push myself as hard since I haven’t worked out for so long. I used five pound free weights instead of my normal seven pounds. I ended up pushing myself more than I would have liked. The instructor was on top of my every move and I was not feeling sore or tired, so I kept pushing and pushing. After the hour long class I ran a few miles on the treadmill, stretched and called it a night. After getting home I showered and that’s when I began to feel it. My muscles began to tighten. I thought standing in the hot shower water would loosen my muscles but no such luck. I finally got out of the shower and went straight to bed. Let’s just say I did not have a relaxing night of sleep. I tossed and turned and felt like I got little to no sleep. When I stepped out of bed the next morning my muscles were as sore as I can ever remember them being. Somehow I got ready for work and managed to get myself into my car. My car is a stick shift and I struggled changing every single gear. My muscles felt like they were tearing with my every move. When I got home from my very long day at work I decided to research on the internet what I could do to cope with sore muscles and prevent my muscles from feeling this way in the future. I learned about Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, or DOMS which is caused by tiny microscopic tears that occur in the muscle as a result of high intensity exercise. The “sore feeling” you get after working out usually means you had a productive workout or you’ve trained intensely enough to break down muscle tissue. I did not feel this way when working out before, probably because I did it on a regular basis. I also learned that if your muscles are sore you can still work out the next day, as long as the soreness is minor. However, if your soreness is very, very sore, you should wait until your muscles recover. As far as preventing soreness I found what I already knew…stretching, drinking lots of water and icing after a hard workout will help prevent soreness. I had to wait a few days to work out again and now I definitely limit myself based on how much I’ve been working out!