You just finished a fun, yet sweaty workout with your trainer. You feel great and ready to take on your daily activities. It’s only until you realize the next day your muscles are sore, and you can barely move. This common sore feeling after a workout is called delay onset muscle soreness or DOMS for short. DOMS typically sets in after 24 hours of the workout, but it is also common for people to experience it after 12 hours of the workout. That being stated, here are a few tips and tricks to help that can possibly help ease DOMS.
1. An ice bath
According to Dr. A. Brian Gardner, an orthopedic surgeon with the Centers of Advanced Orthopedics, states that doing an ice bath can help ease aching muscles. An ice bath typically lasts for 10-15 minutes but can be shortened for beginners.
2. Foam rolling
Foam rolling after an exercise can help relax and stretch the connective tissue around your muscles, which ultimately helps muscle fatigue and soreness. When foam rolling, apply the foam roller to the tense muscle area and hold the position for 30 to 60 seconds. From there, you can roll up and down in tiny increments to help loosen the muscle.
3. Applying heat
There are multiple ways to do this tip. Taking a hot shower or applying a heat pack can help with muscle soreness because heat can relax the muscle, therefore bringing an increased blood flow to the area. If applying a heat pack, make sure to not go longer than 20 minutes on the affected muscle.
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