Have you ever done a really hard workout or perhaps  a new set of exercises and the next day wake up with some serious muscle pain? Most of us have! Chances are you’ve got DOMS – Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness.

DOMS is muscle pain or stiffness experienced in the muscles several hours to days after exercise. Most commonly linked to introducing new exercises to your workout or raising the intensity of your workout. The good news is that it’s normal, it doesn’t mean you’re super unfit or should avoid exercise (the opposite is true really). The fittest of the fit can always be challenged in a new way and pushed, experiencing a degree of DOMS.The most severe cases of DOMS though seem to occur with those new to training, so always make sure you seek advice prior to starting weight/strength training for the first time. There is no shame in asking for help, think of good technique during exercise like ‘pre-hab’. And absolutely do not jump in the deep end and use too much load if you’re not used to it.

Here are my tips for dealing with DOMS

• Before you finish your workout ensure you complete an appropriate cool down and thoroughly stretch your whole body (for a guide to stretching your whole body click here). This is particularly important if you have done any new exercises or have increased the intensity of your workout.
• Several hours after your workout, warm up/mobilise your joints and muscles again and complete another set of stretches.
• If possible I strongly recommend a light walk later in the day (if trained legs) to keep your legs moving and preventing stiffening up.
• The next day when you wake up you may feel very stiff, the best thing you can do is push through the stiffness with caution and increase your activity. You most likely won’t want to you’ll want to lay down and not do much at all but this is actually the worst thing you can do. Doing nothing will prolong the DOMS experience.
• Don’t train sore muscles. Now there are various opinions when it comes to this point of view but personally I believe if you have a seriously stiff sore muscle leave it alone, if it has DOMS the muscle has not recovered yet. If you push it you are increasing your risk of injury and you most likely won’t be able to complete the exercise with the correct technique and ROM (range of motion) due to your stiffness so won’t get the full benefits anyway. Also keep in mind that when you exercise your muscles contract and shorten….adding to your stiffness. Don’t use it as an excuse though there are other forms of exercise you can do.
• I absolutely do recommend light cardio and other forms of exercise when you have DOMS. For instance if your legs are stiff, go for a walk, go swimming, rowing etc. depending on how much of your body has succumbed to DOMS you will be able to challenge other parts of your body and still get a great workout!
• Coming back from DOMS increase your intensity gradually, if you keep overloading the muscles this will lead to overtraining – a nasty problem we will explore soon.

Remember these tips and above all listen to your body, it will tell you what’s going on. Happy exercising!

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