After exercising, you may wake up the next day with pain all over your body. Body aches can be one of the effects felt immediately after a workout. But is that a natural feeling for you?
Why does the body hurt after exercise?
Muscle cells are damaged when performing a new type of exercise or movement that is rarely performed. This is known as DOMS or delayed muscle soreness. This condition is normal. Everyone can feel it, even professional athletes. Damage to muscle tissue causes pain. Post-exercise body pain indicates that the muscles are beginning to adapt to the stress during exercise.
DOMS usually occurs 12 to 24 hours after exercise. This pain can last for the next 24 to 48 hours. Because of this, you typically don’t feel sore until the next day or hours after your workout. When experiencing DOMS, exercise movements cause muscle fibers to break. Muscles adapt to repair these fibers to become stronger.
If you do the same activity again, the muscles will get stronger and be able to adapt. The pain did not return or subsided slightly. For example, if you’re doing 10 push-ups for the first time, there’s a good chance your arms and stomach will hurt the next day because you’re not used to it. The next day, your muscles can adjust better and 10 push-ups are no longer painful.
When can you feel body aches after exercise?
Post-exercise muscle pain due to DOMS is different from muscle aches and pains. You can experience this state by doing things like the following.
- When you start exercising for the first time or haven’t exercised for a long time.
- Add new activities to your regular exercise program.
- Increase the training intensity.
- Repeatedly engage in long activities without adequate recovery.
In addition, several types of exercise can increase DOMS risk. Which are they?
- jog or jog.
- Aerobics.
- down the hill
- Jump.
- muscle strength training.
Is body aches after a workout a good sign?
Post-workout body pain is not always a good sign. The sore parts of your body may indicate that you are using more body muscles when exercising. However, post-workout muscle pain can also be a sign of other things. Not only due to muscle adaptation, but this condition can also be caused by overtraining.
Excessive exercise can cause your body to ache and feel excruciating pain. If the exercise movements you are doing are wrong and cause muscle injury anywhere on the body, this condition can also cause pain in different parts of the body.
Post-workout body pain symptoms to look out for
You should know the difference between muscle soreness due to training adaptation and muscle pain caused by muscle overuse or injury.
Some of the signs and symptoms of post-workout body pain to look out for are as follows.
- Feeling that you cannot do all light daily activities or work.
- The pain sensation does not disappear after more than 72 hours.
- Swelling of the legs can lead to running injuries.
- Reduced range or movement of the joint due to swelling.
- Dark urine or urinating less frequently.
- Increased heart rate, even at rest.
- Common cold and flu symptoms.
- loss of appetite than usual.
If you notice any of these symptoms after a workout, rest your body completely.
Typically, the body needs about 48 to 72 hours before it starts exercising again. If necessary, consult your doctor for a diagnosis and further measures.
How do prevent sore muscles after training?
There are several ways to prevent post-workout body aches. Here are some tips you can try.
1. Train gradually
Begin your practice slowly and gradually.
According to the National Academy of Sports Medicine website, adding 10% each week is best. You can increase the duration, distance, weight, or number of reps or repetitions throughout the exercise. For example, in the first week, you could try 20 push-ups. The following week, increase the number of repetitions to 22 reps. Give the muscles time to gradually adapt to the new movement to minimize pain. If the pain is bearable, you can continue the exercise.
Even so, the American Council on Exercise says that if you experience severe muscle pain, you should rest first. Because unbearable muscle pain can restrict mobility, the body is not free and the beat is difficult to control. This can increase the risk of sports injuries.
2. Choose another sport
If post-workout muscle soreness is making it difficult to move, it’s best to rest for a while until the pain subsides. Alternatively, you can focus on other exercises that involve other muscle movements.
For example, if you feel like you can’t do push-ups because your hands are still sore, you can do other alternatives like jogging or swimming. You can also do other, less-centered movements that involve the muscles you used in previous workouts.