Sore AF? These 5 Exercises Can Help!

Working out is a crucial part of any fitness journey. But between all the cardio and resistance training, you can sometimes feel very sore. And while it is a good sign that you’ve pushed yourself to build healthier habits, it can also be a bit bothersome.

Sometimes a good sweat session can leave your muscles feeling stiff which would make your feel like hitting the couch the next day instead of going about your workout routine.

In today’s blog we’ll be talking about post-workout soreness and the five exercises that can help ease it. Let’s get started!

Why Do We Feel Sore After Working Out?

The feeling of discomfort you get after a workout is called delayed onset muscle soreness or DOMS. This usually happens if you’ve exerted your muscles a lot during exercise, if you’re new to a particular more, or if you’ve been on a workout break and you’re just getting back on track.

Whenever you work out, your muscles get micro-tears from the repeated contraction and relaxation. These micro-tears help your muscles to grow and become stronger over time. However, they can cause pain and discomfort for 24 to 48 hours as your muscles heal and recuperate.

Is It Okay to Work Out If You’re Sore?

The level of discomfort caused by DOMS can depend on how intense your workout is. If you’ve done a lot of squats or presses, your muscles can feel really sore. The good news is you don’t have to skip your next workout if some of your muscle groups aren’t feeling their best.

If you’re feeling extra achy, then you can try using a heat pad or take. Warm bath to ease the discomfort.

But more often than not, DOMS is a counter-intuitive thing. Your sore muscles can actually feel better if you give them a bit of a stretch the next day. While it is tempting to just sit around and do thing, lack of movement can cause your muscles to seize up more. Doing some light movements can help ease the tension on your sore muscles and help them recover quicker.

So you can still workout even if you’re feeling sore. Just remember to lighten the load on your affected muscles and focus on other exercises.

5 Exercises for Sore Muscles

When soreness kicks in a day after an intense workout, these 5 exercises can help you by easing inflammation, improving blood flow, and reducing muscle tightness and swelling.

Light Cardio. One of the best and easiest ways to get your blood flowing and your circulation going is to perform light cardio exercises. You can go for a gentle walk or a slow cycle. This helps carry nutrients and oxygen to your muscles so they can repair faster.
Bodyweight Exercise. If you’re feeling up for it, a little bodyweight workout can also help increase blood flow and help stretch your sore muscles. Try lunges, planks, and push-ups.
Yoga. This is an excellent way to stretch your muscles and boost blood and oxygen flow throughout your body. If you’re feeling sore the day after an intense workout, roll out your mat and go for a light yoga session to get rid of those pesky aches and pains.
Swimming. A gentle swim can also do your sore muscles a great favor. The stretches you get from different strokes and the pressure of the water cogently massage out knots in your muscles.
Resistance Band Exercise. If you have resistance bands, now’s the perfect time to use them. Choose lightweight bands to stretch and lengthen muscle groups like your chest, back, and triceps. Just remember not to get too aggressive on your movements.

Get Your Move On Even if You’re Feeling Sore

Muscle aches is a normal thing when you’re working out. It often means you’re pushing your body hard enough to reach your fitness goals.

While it can be a little uncomfortable, don’t let those pesky sore muscles stop you from moving. The five moves above will help get the blood flowing to your muscles so they can recover and heal faster