How To Deal With Muscle Pain When I First Start Exercising
You’ve finally found the motivation to get back into
exercise. You’re feeling great and wondering why you’d ever stopped. Flash
forward two days and you’re suddenly struck down by delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). As you struggle through
simple tasks like washing your hair, the thought of that 5:00pm pump class may
seem nearly impossible - but don’t let it deter you.
You may not see results just yet, but sore muscles equal
instant progress. Keep your sights set on your dream summer body as you draw on
our five tips to get rid of sore muscles.
Stretching
Anyone, regardless of their fitness level, can experience
muscle soreness after exercise, whether you’re starting a new exercise regime
or increasing the intensity of an existing one. Each time muscles are placed
under strain, small tears appear in the muscle fibres (cue muscle soreness).
Your body repairs by fusing the muscle fibres together to form thicker fibres,
increasing muscle size.
Stretching before and after every workout can help improve
flexibility and blood flow, preventing injury and the body’s ability to heal.
When stretching, it’s important to focus on major muscle groups.
When stretching, don’t bounce as it can lead to injury, and hold
each stretch for no less than 30 seconds.
Magnesium
Eating foods high in magnesium or taking a daily supplement
has an array of health benefits, including improved sleep, flexibility and bone
strength. More importantly, it can do wonders for your training recovery.
Magnesium reduces lactic acid, which is thought to be partly
responsible for that dreaded Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. It also helps the
body to regulate muscle and nerve function by producing more Insulin-like
Growth Factor - an important protein needed for the growth and strength of
muscles.
Put your feet up
Resting between workouts is essential for the growth and
recovery of muscles, and training everyday can potentially send you backwards.
So if you think you’ll see results sooner if you hit the gym seven days a week,
think again.
Muscles are built during rest, not at the gym. The Growth
Hormone is at its highest when sleeping and getting less than seven hours a
night means your body can’t recuperate and become stronger. Aim for at least
1-2 rest days a week and if you can’t tear yourself away from the gym for that
long, try focusing on different muscle groups at each session.
Up your protein
intake
Eating the right foods and adequate amounts of protein goes
hand-in-hand with getting enough rest.
Consuming healthy proteins like chicken, nuts, eggs or fish
with in an hour of working out will fuel your body with amino acids – the
building block to muscle growth and repair. Our muscles are made up of two
types of protein and amino acids can be thought of as the glue that holds
everything together.
Incorporating a serving of carbohydrate following your
workout is also useful as it will also increase insulin levels and the body’s
ability to absorb amino acids.
Foam rollers
Muscle soreness can last anywhere from three to five days
and foam rollers are a popular solution to reduce muscle recovery time and
restore them back to normal function. The idea behind the oblong shaped roller
is that it promotes self-myofascial release (SMR), or the release of tight
muscles and knots through controlled, targeted pressure.
You should aim to use a foam roller both before and after
exercise to stimulate blood flow, prepare the body pre workout, and flush out
any blood that has pooled in targeted areas.
This article was proudly provided by the Australian Institute of Personal Trainers, who support Genesis Fitness and help our members achieve their fitness goals. If you are interested in starting a career in Personal Training, click here for more information.
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