Standing in my closet I try to plan my outfit for the day,
I decide bending over to put pants on is impossible so I just reach for a slip on dress.
Cute and no one can tell I'm babying my sore muscles.
Winning!
Yesterday morning I broke my record time for a mile. 11 minutes and 23 seconds!
(Not impressive for most runners but for this lazy girl that's cause for celebration.)
After I recovered from that, yes I am that out of shape, I worked on abs, A LOT.
When I left the gym I was extremely proud of myself.
For 5 years my only exercise was doing massage.
Progress!
Then the unexpected happened.
My second job is taking care of babies and yesterday we were in a room without a rocking chair so when a sweet girl came in super sleepy I was left with the choice of letting her cry or sitting in the floor rocking her for an hour. My abs were screaming at me.
Work out on top of a work out.
If exercise will make me stronger why do I feel so weak?
Thankfully due to my massage knowledge and a little of my boyfriend's Personal Training schooling I know that DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) is normal and not something to run to the ER for but not everyone knows so I am going to take a moment and explain WHY you hurt after physical activity and HOW to feel better then you do hurt.
The WHY you hurt:
I could go into technical terms myself but I find this article sums it up nicely.
"Delayed onset muscle soreness is thought to be a result of microscopic tearing of the muscle fibers. The amount of tearing (and soreness) depends on how hard and how long you exercise and what type of exercise you do. Any movement you aren't used to can lead to DOMS, but eccentric muscle contractions (movements that cause muscle to forcefully contract while it lengthens) seem to cause the most soreness. Examples of eccentric muscle contractions include going down stairs, running downhill, lowering weights and the downward motion of squats and push-ups. In addition to small muscle tears there can be associated swelling in a muscle which may contribute to soreness." Sports Medicine
The HOW to help:
In the same article from above I found a great list as to how to help.. here's the list with a little bit of my professional insight.
- Use Active Recovery. This strategy does have support in the research. Performing easy low-impact aerobic exercise increasing blood flow and is linked with diminished muscle soreness. After an intense workout or competition, use this technique as a part of your cool down. - Great advice that I have seen and felt work time and time again.
- Rest and Recover. If you simply wait it out, soreness will go away in 3 to 7 days with no special treatment. - Beware of these words! Rest and recover does not mean sitting in a lone position all day, this will create more soreness. it means take it easier than the activity that caused the soreness not stopping all together. Your muscles can't repair correctly without movement.
- Try a Sports Massage. Some research has found that sports massage may help reduce reported muscle soreness and reduce swelling, although it had no effects on muscle function. - Of course this one is my favorite. Getting a massage RIGHT after a workout is the best! Not only do you leave feeling like a wet noodle, but your therapist is able to benefit your body better since your blood flow is already increased and nerves willing to relax. Plus who doesn't want a nap after a hard workout?
- Try an Ice Bath or Contrast Water Bath. Although no clear evidence proves they are effective, many pro athletes use them and claim they work to reduce soreness. - Having done it myself I can say that although uncomfortable at first you feel great afterwards.
- Use R.I.C.E., the standard method of treating acute injuries, if your soreness is particularly painful. - ALWAYS good advice for injuries.
- Perform Gentle Stretching. Although research doesn't find stretching alone reduces muscle pain of soreness, many people find it simply feels good. - gentle is the key here, don't overstretch already sore muscles.
- Try a Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory. Aspirin, ibuprofen or naproxen sodium may help to temporarily reduce the muscle soreness, although they won't actually speed healing. Be careful, however, if you plan to take them before exercise. Studies reported that taking ibuprofen before endurance exercise is not recommended. - I personally HATE this one. Pills only cover the main problem not solve it. Use pain killers only as an option Z when EVERYTHING else has be exhausted and you are still in pain.
- Try Yoga. There is growing support that performing Yoga may reduce DOMS. - Only having recently tried yoga for shoulders I have a limited opinion but I have notices I feel looser on days I do my shoulder poses.
- Listen to Your Body. Avoid any vigorous activity or exercise that increases pain. - YES!
- Allow the soreness to subside thoroughly before performing any vigorous exercise. -YES!
- Warm Up completely before your next exercise session. There is some research that supports that a warm-up performed immediately prior to unaccustomed eccentric exercise produces small reductions in delayed-onset muscle soreness (but cool-down performed after exercise does not). - I myself have a hard time with this.. I don't know the difference between warm up and exercise but thankfully my wonderful boyfriend is going to school to be a personal trainer so I'll figure that one out soon. If you are like me and don't know what to do, the internet is your best friend.
To learn more about exercise THIS LINK is the most specific as to what happens within the body during exercise I have found.
