If you hit the gym regularly, you’re no stranger to sore muscles. This pain could be the burn you feel as lactic acid levels build in your muscles or the soreness that lingers for days after a heavy workout.
You may have wondered, is it bad to workout when you’re sore? Should you work out sore muscles? Or, should I be lifting while sore? The truth is, although muscle pain and discomfort can be annoying and restrictive when it comes to certain exercises, it shouldn’t put you off to exercising when sore.
Should you work out when sore? Sure! Just listen to your body and switch muscle groups to give your sore muscles time to repair. Additionally, fuel your body with premium supplements that help to prevent muscle cramps and promote recovery.
Sore muscles after working out are known as Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS). This condition can occur when you increase your regular workout intensity or duration, start a new form of exercise, or change your workout routine.
When muscles are used differently or forced to work harder, muscle fibers are damaged, causing microscopic tears, which lead to stiffness or soreness. Some people believe that a lactic acid build-up causes DOMS. However, this theory has been debunked. Lactic acid has no involvement in this process.
Working out when sore is perfectly safe, although it may feel uncomfortable at first. Typically, the soreness will disappear once your muscles have warmed up. However, the discomfort will likely return once you finish exercising and your muscles start to cool down.
If your muscles are only slightly sore, it should feel good to:
If you’re still dubious, thinking ‘should I workout if I’m sore?’, focus on different muscle groups that you didn’t work out previously.
Light recovery exercise, such as powerwalking and cycling, is an excellent choice for days when you’re experiencing DOMS. As well as improving your mood, light exercise increases blood flow to the muscles. This increase in blood flow can help you recover from soreness more quickly, as long as you don’t challenge the same muscles.
Recovery exercises may even offer similar benefits to getting a massage. A 2013 study compared soreness in several participants 48 hours after working out their upper trapezius. Some of these participants received a 10-minute massage after the workout; others performed resistance-band exercises. The study concluded that both of these recoveries were equally effective at decreasing the intensity of DOMS.
Now that we’ve answered the question, ‘should you exercise when sore?’ we’re going to explain how to approach working out sore muscles.
The most important piece of advice for your safety is to take it easy. Don’t complete a difficult workout if you’re feeling really sore. Pushing through intense pain can impede your progress, lead to injury, or both.
Although DOMS is associated with muscle damage, it isn’t necessarily bad. After all, muscle damage leads to muscle growth. However, while you’re feeling super sore, your body is trying to recover. So, your muscles are slightly weaker and more vulnerable than they were before your workout.
Pushing through mild pain and soreness becomes normal as you get used to regular exercise. You’ll never condition your body if you take time off from the gym every time you ache. If you have moderate soreness, you can still complete low-intensity exercises.
Try bodyweight squats rather than loading up a barbell, or do gentle yoga instead of a weights session. Don’t think of this activity as a regular workout.; consider it a form of active rest.
If your soreness is unbearable and bordering on agony, you should seek medical attention, as you may have torn a muscle or ligament.
Light massage after exercise can ease inflammation, reduce pain from DOMS, and aid muscle recovery. Additionally, you don’t need to visit a professional, as you can massage most of your own muscles. Simply rub your muscles when showering or moisturizing after a workout to help ease DOMS.
Sleep is a powerful recovery tool for muscle building and preventing DOMS. Muscle-building chemicals such as Human Growth Hormone (HGH) are produced naturally in the body during the deep sleep stages. Try to sleep for a minimum of 7 hours to help your body recover from exercise.
A lack of electrolytes can contribute to DOMS, so make sure you remain hydrated throughout your workout. As your muscles work harder, they demand more oxygen, and this pushes the heart harder. Roughly 82% of our blood volume is water, so hydration is critical when exercising.
Should you work out when sore? You should, and you can replenish your electrolytes by adding some of our magnesium-rich electrolyte mix to your water. Our physician formulated blend of electrolyte supplements will help to prevent cramping, aid recovery, and reduce bloating.
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