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Exercising When You’re Already Sore Menu Verywell Fit Nutrition Weight Management Nutrition Facts Nutrition Basics Diets Meal Plans Meal Delivery Services View All News Fitness and Nutrition What to Buy How We Test Products Fitness Gear Nutrition Products Tools Recipe Nutrition Calculator Weight Loss Calorie Goal BMI Calculator Body Fat Percentage Calculator Calories Burned by Activity Daily Calories Burned Pace Calculator About Us Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Search Health and Safety Should You Exercise When You’re Sore? By Paige Waehner Paige Waehner Paige Waehner is a certified personal trainer, author of the “Guide to Become a Personal Trainer”; and co-author of “The Buzz on Exercise & Fitness
” Learn about our editorial process Updated on April 18, 2020 Reviewed Verywell Fit articles are reviewed by nutrition and exercise professionals
Reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research
Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates
by Tara Laferrara, CPT Reviewed byTara Laferrara, CPT Tara Laferrara is a certified NASM personal trainer, yoga teacher, and fitness coach
She also created her own online training program, the TL Method
Learn about our Review Board Print South_agency / Getty Images Just about everyone who exercises experiences soreness at times, especially those who are new to exercise or trying a new activity
Whether to work out again while still sore from your last session is a case-by-case decision that depends largely on the degree of discomfort
Fortunately, there are things you can do to reduce the pain and keep your fitness plan on track
Why Muscles Get Sore After Exercise Delayed-onset muscle soreness is natural when you challenge the muscles with new exercises or more intensity
Part of the adaptation process includes muscle soreness due to microscopic tears in the connective tissue that support and surround the muscle
Sore muscles are in the process of healing and growing stronger, so you should avoid stressing them even more by doing heavy, intense exercise
However, a light workout may offer some relief as you warm the muscles to increase healing blood flow to the tissue
If you are a little stiff: A light-to-moderate cardio workout can loosen stiff muscles
A dynamic warm-up of moves like marching in place, side-steps, lunges, and arm circles, followed by light stretching, can help get the blood flowing so you are ready to work out
If you are noticeably sore: Either take a rest day, take a walk, or try a light cardio workout and stretching
After you have warmed up, if you still feel too sore for your workout, take a rest day or keep your exercise light
If you are very sore: If it hurts to lift your arms to brush your hair or participate in everyday activities, you need a rest day (or two or three; soreness may be even worse on the second day)
After you rest, try light cardio or a lighter version of the original workout you did: Use lighter weights or no weight, do fewer sets, and work with less intensity overall
In the meantime, some studies suggest that yoga, light weighttraining (using no weight or very light weights) or light cardio (e
, walking) may help reduce symptoms of DOMs
Though studies are conflicting, there is some research showing that massage might alleviate muscle soreness
However, massages can also leave you sore
Be sure to drink plenty of water afterward
Over-the-counter non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen, can reduce pain and inflammation
Some studies suggest ice baths can improve recovery from DOMs
Whether you can tolerate sitting in a bathtub full of ice is an entirely different question
A warm bath with Epsom salts may feel better
How to Avoid Muscle Soreness It’s impossible to completely avoid muscle soreness, especially if you have a goal to lose weight or change your body
However, keep in mind that the recovery process is just as important as the workouts
Your body heals and grows stronger during rest days
While you can’t completely avoid getting sore, there are things you can do to minimize it
Ease into workouts
Start slowly to allow your muscles to gradually adapt to the stress of new activities or intensities
Going back to the workouts you used to do may be too much for your body
Gradually build intensity
To get in shape, burn calories, and lose weight, you have to challenge your body with more stress than it’s used to
If you’re a beginner, any activity is more stress than your body is used to, so you may need to stay with the same workouts for one to two weeks before adding intensity
Be consistent
Once you’ve gotten sore from a specific workout or intensity, you shouldn’t experience it again until the intensity is increased
3 Sources Verywell Fit uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles
Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy
Boyle CA, Sayers SP, Jensen BE, Headley SA, Manos TM
J Strength Cond Res
2004;18(4):723-29
doi:10
1 Zainuddin Z, Newton M, Sacco P, Nosaka K
Effects of massage on delayed-onset muscle soreness, swelling, and recovery of muscle function
J Athl Train
Bleakley C, McDonough S, Gardner E, Baxter GD, Hopkins JT, Davison GW
Cold-water immersion (cryotherapy) for preventing and treating muscle soreness after exercise
Cochrane Database Syst Rev
doi:10
1002/14651858
CD008262
Additional Reading Nosaka K, Newton M
Repeated eccentric exercise bouts do not exacerbate muscle damage and repair
J Strength Cond Res
By Paige WaehnerPaige Waehner is a certified personal trainer, author of the “Guide to Become a Personal Trainer,” and co-author of “The Buzz on Exercise & Fitness
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