Have you ever felt muscle soreness a day or two after a hard workout and wondered, "Is this normal?" That stiffness and soreness often makes you and I hesitate about whether to continue exercising or stop for now.
This article will thoroughly discuss how to safely and effectively manage DOMS. You'll also discover recovery strategies to relieve post-workout muscle soreness while maintaining optimal performance.
What is DOMS?
DOMS ( Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) is a type of muscle soreness that appears 24–72 hours after intense exercise. This condition often occurs when you try a new exercise or significantly increase the intensity.
This pain is more than just a simple ache, as it involves tiny micro-tears in the muscle fibers caused by the stress of intense training. These micro-tears are part of the body's adaptation process to strengthen the muscles.
When performing eccentric movements, such as slowly lowering a weight, the muscles experience greater mechanical stress. The body then responds with mild inflammation, signaling the beginning of the tissue repair process.
Post-workout muscle soreness typically feels stiff, sore to the touch, and involves a temporary decrease in muscle strength . Unlike serious injuries, DOMS is not accompanied by extreme, sharp pain or significant swelling, making it a normal response to increased fitness.
Also read: Cooling Down Guide After Exercise to Help Your Body Recover Quickly
Factors Affecting the Severity of DOMS
Before you focus on finding ways to overcome DOMS, it's important to understand the factors that influence its severity. Here are some factors that determine how severe your post-workout DOMS is:
- Exercise Intensity: The heavier the load or the higher the intensity of the exercise, the greater the mechanical stress on the muscles. This increases micro-tears in muscle fibers, making post-workout muscle soreness more pronounced.
- Workout Duration: Longer workouts require muscles to work harder and for longer. Consequently, muscle fatigue increases and the risk of DOMS increases compared to shorter sessions.
- Eccentric Movements: Movements that involve lengthening the muscle while holding a load, such as slow squats, lunges, or downhill running, tend to trigger DOMS most often. This phase places significant stress on the muscle fibers, making the adaptations more pronounced.
- Adaptation and Fitness Level: If you're just starting out or trying new movements, your body isn't used to the stress. That's why beginners often experience more intense workouts and muscle soreness.
- Sleep and Rest Patterns: Lack of sleep hinders muscle recovery. The body needs adequate rest for optimal muscle fiber regeneration.
- Nutrition and Hydration: Adequate protein, carbohydrate, and fluid intake are crucial for rapid muscle recovery. Nutritional deficiencies and dehydration can slow muscle tissue repair.
- Daily Stress Levels: Excessive stress can affect hormones and slow the recovery process. High stress levels make it harder for the body to adapt to training loads.
By understanding these factors, you can adjust your training intensity and recovery strategies so that post-workout DOMS doesn't interfere too much with your daily activities.
Also read: How to Treat Muscle Injuries During Exercise for a Faster Recovery
6 Safe Ways to Overcome DOMS
1. Light Stretching After Exercise
Light stretching after exercise helps increase blood circulation to hard-working muscles. This is effective in reducing stiffness and promoting rapid muscle recovery.
You don't need to jump straight into deep stretches when your muscles are still very stiff. Simply gently stretch the major muscle groups for 20–30 seconds per movement.
Focus on the most painful areas, such as your thighs, calves, lower back, or shoulders. If sharp pain occurs, reduce the intensity; the purpose of stretching after exercise is to promote relaxation, not increase pain.
2. Doing Light Physical Activity or Active Recovery
Rest is important, but light exercise to relieve muscle soreness is also highly recommended. Active recovery activities like a brisk walk, light yoga, or a leisurely bike ride can help reduce post-workout DOMS.
This light activity maintains blood flow, allowing exercise metabolites to be cleared from muscle tissue more quickly. This can gradually reduce post-workout muscle stiffness and soreness.
Do this for 10–20 minutes the next day after a strenuous workout. Avoid intense exercise while your muscles are still very sore, as it can slow down the recovery process and increase the risk of injury.
3. Compress with warm or cold water
Compresses are a safe and simple way to treat DOMS at home. Both warm and cold compresses have different effects on aiding recovery.
A cold compress is recommended in the first 24 hours after strenuous exercise, especially if there is minimal swelling. Apply it for 10–15 minutes every 2–3 hours to help reduce inflammation and pain.
Once the initial phase has passed, a warm compress can help relax tense muscles. Apply it for 15–20 minutes to increase blood flow and promote muscle tissue relaxation.
4. Pay attention to nutrition and body hydration
Muscle recovery nutrition plays a crucial role in repairing micro-tears in muscle fibers caused by intense exercise and muscle soreness. A high-quality protein intake helps optimize the regeneration process.
Combine it with complex carbohydrates to replenish depleted muscle energy. Add antioxidant-rich foods like green vegetables and berries to help reduce mild inflammation.
Adequate hydration should also be a priority. Drinking water regularly throughout the day helps distribute nutrients and speeds up the elimination of metabolic waste.
5. Get Enough Rest for Muscle Recovery
Rest is the foundation for naturally overcoming DOMS. When you sleep, your body produces recovery hormones that help repair muscle tissue.
Make sure you get 7–9 hours of sleep every night to maximize the regeneration process. Lack of sleep can slow recovery and make muscle soreness last longer.
If needed, add a short 20–30-minute nap after a strenuous workout. This extra rest time helps the body recover energy and speeds up muscle adaptation.
6. Using a Foam Roller or Self-Myofascial Release
Foam rolling for DOMS has become a popular method because it's easy to do and quite effective. The self-myofascial release technique helps reduce tension and increase muscle flexibility.
Use a foam roller or massage ball in gentle strokes on the painful area for 30–60 seconds per point. Consistent pressure helps increase blood flow to the muscle tissue.
Make sure you don't apply pressure to the point of extreme pain. Do this 2–4 times a week as needed to ensure optimal and safe recovery.
Also read: Why is a Rest Day Workout Important in Weightlifting?
Tips to Prevent DOMS in the Future
To avoid constantly searching for ways to overcome DOMS, preventative measures are far more effective in the long run. Here are some simple tips to minimize DOMS after exercise:
- Perform a 5–10-Minute Dynamic Warm-Up: Warming up helps increase blood flow and prepares the muscles and nervous system. Use movements like bodyweight squats, arm circles, or joint mobility exercises before your workout.
- Don't Skip the Cool Down: After your workout, gradually reduce the intensity with light movement or gentle stretching. Cooling down helps reduce muscle tension and promotes early recovery.
- Apply the Principle of Progressive Overload Gradually: Gradually increase the weight, repetitions, or duration of your workouts. Drastic increases can leave your muscles unprepared for adaptation, increasing the risk of post-workout muscle soreness.
- Develop a Planned Training Program: Create a training schedule that allows adequate rest between intense sessions. A structured training pattern helps the body adapt without triggering excessive DOMS.
- Combine Strength and Flexibility Training: Strong and flexible muscles absorb training loads more efficiently. With good flexibility, the body adapts more easily to training stress, keeping soreness within a reasonable range.
Maximize How to Overcome DOMS Safely with SVRG
DOMS is the body's normal response to the stress of intense training and is nothing to be afraid of. By consistently implementing safe methods for managing DOMS, such as stretching, active recovery, compression, nutrition, and foam rolling, you will see better results from your training.
To support DOMS relief, SVRG offers top-of-the-line recovery equipment , including foam rollers , massage balls , and massage guns . All of this equipment can be your best friend in addressing post-workout muscle soreness and reducing muscle tension, allowing for more effective regeneration.
Don't let muscle soreness hinder your consistent workouts. Start implementing proper DOMS recovery techniques and complement your training routine with SVRG to optimize your performance and make recovery more enjoyable.
