Did you wake up this morning feeling tense in your muscles from that gym session yesterday? Did you struggle getting out of bed, sitting on the toilet or even doing your next training session?
The technical term for this muscle soreness is called delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) which peaks at 24-48 hours after your gym session. This soreness is completely NORMAL and will happen to the majority of people who exercise. This process helps with repairing your muscle tissue that was broken during the exercise you were performing. DOMS may be more prevalent for beginners as your body is still going through the adaptation phase and getting used to the movements you’re doing.
How can you speed up recovery?
- Nutrition + Hydration: Making sure you have protein throughout the day and after your workout to help repair and build your muscle cells! Having enough of your other macronutrients as well as water (fats and carbs) will also benefit your recovery process.
- Foam Rolling/Massage: By rolling over tight muscle tissue you will release the tension and ease the muscular discomfort.
- Active Recovery: Going for a walk or doing some light cardio may not be the first thing you’d like to do when feeling sore. However by promoting circulation, active recovery can help reduce muscle stiffness and may aid the removal of lactate from muscles.
- Sleep: Sleep is the time of day where your body heals the most - getting your 6-7 hours sleep a night will be more beneficial than you think!
