asian female doing a yoga stretch to relieve soreness
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Overview

If your muscles are sore, you might wonder if you should continue with your workouts or residue. In some cases, active recovery exercise like stretching and walking can exist benign to sore muscles. But the decision to continue depends on the severity of soreness and symptoms y'all're experiencing.

Read on to learn more about when information technology'due south all correct to work out sore, and when you should rest and recover.

If you're slightly sore, an "active" recovery may be beneficial. It may feel skilful to:

  • stretch out sore muscles
  • practise light resistance exercises, such equally core strengthening workouts
  • do low-intensity cardio, such as walking or swimming

You tin can also focus on musculus groups that you didn't piece of work previously. For example, add together in an arm weight workout the day later a run.

In add-on to feeling practiced, light recovery exercise may offer other health benefits. Mobility, or full-range, exercises similar walking or easy cycling atomic number 82 to more blood pumping through the muscles. This increase in blood flow may help you recover from soreness sooner. That is, as long as y'all aren't overloading or challenging the muscles more.

Recovery exercises may even offering the same benefits as getting a massage. One study compared soreness in a group of participants 48 hours after they performed upper trapezius muscle exercises.

Some participants received a ten-minute massage post-obit the conditioning. Others performed exercises with a resistance ring. Researchers ended that both recoveries were equally effective in temporarily helping with delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), merely more research is needed.

Muscle damage and musculus growth

Microscopic tears in the muscle, or a breakdown in muscle tissue, likely causes DOMS after a workout. Trying a new blazon of practise or increasing the intensity can increase how sore you are in the days following a workout.

Over time, though, your muscles get resilient to that exercise. They won't pause down or tear as easily.

In response to micro tears, the body volition utilize satellite cells to fix the tears and build them upwardly more over time. This protects against future damage and leads to musculus growth.

It's important to get plenty protein in your nutrition and permit your muscles to rest for this process to occur.

Gentle recovery exercises can be beneficial. But overtraining tin be harmful and fifty-fifty dangerous for your wellness.

If you experience the following symptoms, it'southward important to take time off from practise and allow your body to rest. Let your md know about any of the following:

  • increased resting heart rate
  • low or mood changes
  • increased amount of colds or other illness
  • overuse injuries
  • muscle or joint pain
  • constant fatigue
  • indisposition
  • decreased appetite
  • worsening of athletic performance or fiddling improvement, fifty-fifty after rest

Soreness can experience uncomfortable, but shouldn't exist very painful. The discomfort usually decreases 48 to 72 hours later.

Symptoms of an athletic injury may include:

  • abrupt pain
  • feeling uncomfortable or nauseated
  • hurting that won't go away
  • swelling
  • tingling or numbness
  • areas of blackness or blue marks
  • loss of office to the injured area

If you experience these symptoms, see your doc. They may recommend at-domicile treatments like ice or medication. For a more serious injury, your medico may use X-rays to assistance them plan out further handling.

To prevent DOMS, cool down later on exercising. Different a warmup, during a cooldown you're gradually bringing your center rate down and adjusting your torso back to a resting state.

Start with a gentle walk or easy spin on a stationary bike for v to x minutes. Stretching for the next five to 10 minutes tin besides assist clear out lactic acid from the trunk. Lactic acid builds upwardly when you practise and can cause a called-for feeling in your muscles. Immigration it out volition allow you to bounce back sooner when you next piece of work out.

You can also apply a foam roller to release any tension later exercise.

In the days following your muscle soreness, these recovery workouts may aid prevent or reduce soreness:

  • yoga
  • stretching or resistance band exercises
  • walking or easy hiking
  • pond laps
  • easy cycling

If you're starting a new fitness routine or trying a new type of exercise for the first fourth dimension, it'due south of import to go ho-hum at first. Gradually increasing the intensity and frequency of do volition assist forbid soreness. And remember to always get your dr.'s approval before starting a new exercise routine.

Depending on your fettle level and how sore you are, you can usually resume workouts within a few days to a week following recovery. Work with a certified fitness professional to create an exercise regimen that's safe and constructive for you.

In most cases, gentle recovery exercises like walking or swimming are safe if y'all're sore after working out. They may fifty-fifty be benign and aid you recover faster. Just information technology'due south important to rest if you're experiencing symptoms of fatigue or are in pain.

See a dr. if you believe you're injured, or if the soreness doesn't go abroad after a few days.

Even professional athletes take days off. Working rest and recovery days into your regular exercise routine volition allow you to perform better the side by side time yous hit the gym.