Why Your Muscles Get Sore and What You Can Do About It

When you're struggling to walk down the stairs the day after a tough workout, should you view your soreness as proof you worked hard, or as a sign you overdid it? The truth is somewhere in between. Let's learn about where soreness comes from and how to keep it from making you miserable.

What Soreness Is

That next-day soreness isn't from lactic acid or any toxins produced during exercise. Think about it: if it were, the soreness would start at the gym and resolve over time. Instead, it's called delayed-onset muscle soreness (or DOMS) because it begins several hours afterward, and peaks (on average) around two days after exercise.

Reduce Pain Caused By Daily Activities

Did you know that time spent sitting, standing and even sleeping could be hurting your body? The cumulative effect of the long hours spent in these positions can lead to prolonged damage to both your muscles and fascia (strong connective tissue). To keep your body fully functional, it is important to address this damage by performing corrective exercises.

To determine what specific exercises to do, you can work with a qualified personal trainer who has expertise in this area. You can also make the following adjustments yourself.