Something you’re sure to encounter at some point if you love exercise and training, whether that’s hitting the gym, going for a run, doing laps in the pool or something else, is DOMS… delayed onset muscle soreness.
After a workout session, it’s very common to experience aches and pains in your muscles and this soreness can make you feel very uncomfortable indeed, striking you down between 24 and 72 hours after exercise.
The good news is that there are lots of ways you can help ease this soreness and get you back to training sooner rather than later.
Warming up is one way to help your body ready itself for exercise and this can reduce both injury risk and the chances of experiencing DOMs. If you’re heading to the gym, walking there briskly is all the warm up you need!
And don’t forget the cool down either, as this is just as important. Breathing slowly in and out of your nose can help get your heart rate under control and bring your body temperature down, while increasing blood flow to your muscles which can help reduce soreness.
Rest days are particularly important for anyone who trains or exercises a lot – but this doesn’t mean you have to be inactive! Try to keep moving on your rest days and engage in light activity, whether that’s walking the dog, doing some myofascial releases to ease those muscles or going for a gentle swim.
Just remember to listen to your body, no matter what you’re doing. Your body tells you everything you need to know, so if your muscles are screaming out for help and you’re really feeling your DOMS, don’t hit the gym hard. Give your body the space it needs to relax and recover… otherwise you could be facing serious injury time.
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