Differentiating and Coping with Muscle Pain and Soreness

So you finally took that giant leap. You no longer simply just know where the gym is, but you have also taken that life-changing step inside and started a new workout routine. Or you went in and took it a little easier than usual because you’ve been off training for a while. You're motivated, and want to keep going, but over the next couple of days every inch of your body is screaming and it feels like you got hit by a bus. Then you think, “You’re supposed to go back to the gym feeling like this?” Is it pain, or just muscle soreness? We’ll discuss the difference between the two and how to cope with both.

Muscle Soreness

As much as we try to avoid it, almost everyone who has started a new workout routine has experienced gradually increasing discomfort between 24 and 48 hours after physical activity. Exercise Physiologists refer to this as Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, or DOMS for short, which is a common result of physical activity that stresses the muscles beyond what they are used to, and it’s quite an inevitable phenomenon. What you need to keep in mind is that this soreness is not good or bad, it’s just your body’s way of responding to change or “newness”, so it’s is perfectly normal to feel sore when you first start exercising or resume exercising after a long layoff.

When you’re trying to change your body, that’s just what you get – changes! So, what’s the best way to deal with Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness? It’s simple; drink plenty of water and make sure to keep exercising. Don’t expect to set any personal records while you’re sore, so just take it nice and easy. You might also want to incorporate some light movement into your routine to help cure the muscle soreness.

Muscle Pain vs. Injury

When you’re introducing your body to a new workout routine or when you go back to exercising after a while, it is important that you learn how to listen to your body. You will need to know the difference between pain, discomfort, and injury, which unfortunately takes a little bit of experience. If you’re new, talk to your trainer about what you’re feeling and they should be able to advise you further.

Most people will agree that you can tell an athlete and a recreational exerciser apart because athletes know how to distinguish between pain and injury. However, as a general rule, if you’re new to exercise you will probably experience some discomfort because you will use a lot of your muscles in ways they have not been used before, since some of them may have been underutilized. What you need to remember is that you need to STOP immediately you feel a part of your body “hurts” during exercise, and reassess whether you’re doing the correct thing while observing proper form. “Pain” or anything beyond it is a good indicator that you need to consult your doctor as soon as possible.

Hopefully, this clears up any confusion that you may have and you are now able to tell the difference between pain and soreness, or at least have a rough idea. When you introduce your body to working out you will experience a lot of new sensations, but it is important to remember how to distinguish and deal with them, and that they are all completely normal. Now, go out there and either start or keep achieving your health and fitness goals, this time with a little more knowledge.