Sore No More

Don't fear the pain of delayed-onset muscle soreness

- Alvin Ho

Without a doubt, one of the biggest postworkout annoyances anyone has to contend with will be muscle aches and fatigue. Whether if it is from a hard run or strenuous workout regime, delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) can cause discomforts which can go as far as hindering the proper execution of basic daily tasks, such as walking or lifting items.

Some might entirely shelve exercising, mainly due to the knowledge that they will likely succumb to such aches and pains hours after the end of the session. On the contrary, DOMS are not necessarily a bad thing, in fact, researches have shown that the soreness originates from micro-tears in the muscle fibres. These damages will prompt the body to repair and, as a result, create more resilient and stronger muscle fibres.

DOMS typically feature more prominently when one assumes a new form of exercise or intensity. It often occurs 24 to 48 hours after exercising, however, the effects will tend to taper off in the long run as the muscles grow stronger and more accustomed to the workout. The following will discuss ways in helping individuals alleviate such muscle aches and fatigues, enabling them to bounce back into their next workout session with as little discomfort as possible.

Warm up and Stretches

Often, due to reasons such as time constraints, many would opt to jump right into the thick of the workout. However, bringing cold muscles into almost peak intensity at the bat of an eye can bring about detrimental harm to the body. Under such circumstances, the body will tend to be more susceptible to injuries and might take longer to recover.