We have all had some kind of experience of soreness after working out or doing some type of physical activity that we haven’t done in awhile, but why do we feel sore?
When you put your muscles under stress, they are meant to tear slightly so that you can build more muscle. Some people think the pain comes from a lactic acid build-up but that is only a myth. In reality, the soreness comes from the micro tears and damage done in the muscle fibers, and your body responds by strengthening those broken connections. In many ways, it is a good thing when you feel sore despite the pain you might feel with every step you take. Soreness only kicks in from about 24 to 48 hours after doing the activity and many therapists call it Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS). (You could go around telling people that you have DOMS instead of saying that you’re sore.) The exact reason why it takes so long is not known, but many believe that it just takes the body that length of time for the muscle fibers to be noticed.
Once you are sore, there are a few things you can do to reduce it. The first thing you want to do is make sure that you stay hydrated so that your muscles don’t cramp. You should also rest and ice the sore muscles (15-20 minutes) and then wait an hour for your circulation to recover. You have to be careful not to ice them for too long or it could lead to nerve damage. You should never use heat because it will just make it worse and cause more swelling and soreness. It will also help to keep moving and doing some sort of physical activity instead of staying in bed all day. You can either work out the non-sore muscles or work on the sore ones but just very lightly.
There are really no foolproof ways to not get sore after doing an activity, but some tips to keep in mind are to take some time to warm up your body beforehand and to cool down afterwards. Drink plenty of water and start slow. I hope this post has been helpful and that you know this much more about muscle soreness.