A common side effect of strength training is DOMS short for delayed onset muscle soreness.
Some people experience severe DOMS, others quite mild.
DOMS is not a good or a bad thing. And no one knows what causes it. Theories abound, but the cause remains an enigma.
The other day a client told me that hers were so severe after a workout she needed to munch on a few NSAIDs just to function. This is rare.
I reminded her that a hot bath or another bout of exercise would reduce and even eliminate her soreness without burning a hole in her stomach wall.
Drinking lots of water throughout the day to stay super hydrated helps too and is good for many other things including losing fat. She admitted to barely touching a glass of water on any particular day. For shame!
So, if you get a bad case of the DOMS, drink your water, do a few slow push ups, sit ups, swing your arms, do some body weight squats or leg lifts or better still go back to the gym if possible and do another workout.
When you get home, take a nice hot shower or bath and have a cup of calming tea.
Or a small scotch. You know, whatever.
However, don’t pop the pills – bad stuff.
