Wise Up on DOMS
If you’ve ever woken up with sore and stiff muscles after training, then there’s a good chance that you’re experiencing, Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS).
DOMS is commonly experienced by those who weight train, those who have just started training, and those who have taken their training up a level. It can also affect dancers, cyclists, runners, and hikers, or anyone doing any other exercise activity.
The soreness is the result of muscle fibres that have been torn down during physical training. It is essentially trauma to your muscles. During exercise, lactic acid is produced in our bodies and if there is a build-up of acid post exercise, then that can also lead to sore muscles.
DOMS usually subsides in a few days but there are a few things that we can do to help our muscles recover.
My advice would be to make sure that you are fuelling your body correctly before and after training.
Make sure that you eat foods that are high in magnesium, omega 3 and protein. Magnesium allows your muscles to relax, it’s even beneficial to relax your brain tissue before bedtime.
Allow yourself some rest days and avoid overtraining.
Training the same muscle groups daily, will mean you’re going to feel stiff most of the time. There is nothing wrong with feeling stiff lol.
Start slow if you’re a beginner and listen to your body when lifting weights or increasing the weight that you lift. Remember your weights need to be challenging in order to achieve a result, else you could be just wasting your time.
Before each training session be sure to warm up the body and then stretch it out after your workout to prevent injury. You can also try heat packs, muscle rubs and soak in the bathtub to ease some of the soreness post workout. I normally add Epsom salt to my bath water as it draws out lactic acid.
In terms of a supplement, I’ve used L-Glutamine for years. It helps to repair muscle tissue, decreases fatigue, transports nitrogen in the body during exercise and reduces inflammation. It can be used for the treatment and prevention of muscle soreness. One teaspoon in water, is recommended, one hour before training and again after exercise or before bedtime.
You can shop the RushTush L-Glutamine here to deliver pure (and halaal) L-glutamine directly to your recovering muscles.
Performing each exercise with the correct form can prevent injury. The key focus of my voice over demos on my fitness app is to explain form thoroughly to the user. This way I know safety is always first.
I feel nowadays, that everyone wants to do cool exercises they see online; movements their body is not yet ready for. You could be setting yourself up for injury by not putting in foundation work or you could be training with someone who is misleading you.
It’s also important to note that DOMS isn’t an indicator of a successful and/or effective workout and that it’s different to an injury. Also, it is safe to train while experiencing DOMS. I usually train through my mine – training through stiff muscles will increase your recovery rate and will help with pain and elevate general wellbeing!
Don’t let DOMS stop you!
Love Rushda
XOXO