Perhaps you’ve been exercising for a year or two and you’re struggling due to low energy, soreness, or burnout. Or each time you start a new workout routine your body gets so sore you don’t want to exercise again, and then you go back to your old ways.
A common reason why people stop exercising is soreness, injuries, or pain associated with physical activity. In fact, the physical discomfort is probably the most challenging part of introducing an exercise habit for people used to a sedentary lifestyle.
After all, it’s relatively easy to get off your couch and have your first session of exercise, but it gets much more difficult once you wake up the next day and every single muscle in your body feels like it’s fried.
If you’re starting out, muscle soreness is a guarantee. An injury – even a little one that heals in a few days – is also a possibility for an untrained body. It can deter you from your next session of exercise, thus breaking your chain. Unfortunately, the more time you take off, the more likely it will be you’ll get sore yet again after your next workout.
DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) can’t be avoided if you haven’t been exercising for a long time. However, according to Brad Schoenfeld and Bret Contreras and contrary to what some people think, experiencing muscle soreness after a training session isn’t a good indicator of whether your exercise was effective or not[xlii].
In other words, don’t fall into the trap of thinking that if you feel sore, you’ve had a good workout – it’s a twisted way of thinking that can make you associate fitness with pain, which will lead to problems with willpower. Additionally, it can lead to an injury – and that will make sticking to your new habit impractical or even impossible.
While DOMS can’t be avoided entirely, you can reduce its severity. As for the injuries, most risks can be eliminated by following some simple tips. Consequently, you’ll reduce the risk of creating additional barriers to your habit of exercise.
Since it’s hard to study DOMS or recovery and provide conclusive evidence about possible therapies, the eight ideas below are only suggestions to try and not sure-fire ways that work for everyone. Still, try them next time you feel sore and you’ll possibly reduce your resistance to the next workout.
Since self-myofascial release (targeted muscle tension release) is an emerging form of therapy, there’s still not enough conclusive scientific evidence regarding it (for instance, available studies were done on just a few participants).
However, a 2015 systematic review suggests that foam rolling may be effective as both a pre- and post-workout way to reduce muscle soreness[xliii]. Another 2015 systematic review also suggests that foam rolling can enhance recovery[xliv] and make it easier on your willpower to keep exercising.
A 2015 Canadian study on foam rolling and DOMS has shown that 20 minutes of foam rolling after exercise (immediately after, 24 hours after, and 48 hours after) reduced DOMS in 8 participants when measured by sprint time, power, and dynamic strength-endurance[xlv]. It’s by no means ultimate proof that it will work for you, but it’s a good idea to test it as you can only gain from it.
If you’d like to test how foam rolling works on your body, invest in a foam roller and watch a few instructional videos on YouTube on how to use it. Then foam roll after each workout session and ideally, the following two days, too (that’s when your muscles will be the most sore).
Please keep in mind that foam rolling will be painful, especially during the first few weeks when you’ll have to deal with all of the accumulated tensions in your entire body. However, releasing tension and relaxing your muscles will help you feel better in general, thus making it easier to exercise.
At the time of writing this book, I’ve been using my foam roller religiously three times a week for about two years. I find it an extremely helpful tool for reducing tension in my back and calves, which helps me perform better during my workouts as well as reduce the risk of injuries.
Massage has been found effective at alleviating DOMS, but not at improving muscle function. In other words, it’s useful for the psychological benefits of reduced soreness, but won’t improve your body’s physical recovery.
A 2003 study showed that massage performed two hours after exercise didn’t improve hamstring function but reduced the intensity of soreness 48 hours post-exercise[xlvi].
Another study in 2005 determined that a 10-minute sports massage 3 hours after exercise was effective in alleviating DOMS by approximately 30%. It was also helpful in reducing swelling[xlvii].
Yet another 2005 paper concluded that “Post-exercise massage has been shown to reduce the severity of muscle soreness but massage has no effects on muscle functional loss”[xlviii].
Finally, a 2013 review on the effects of massage therapy on DOMS has shown inconclusive evidence in the same vein – massage can help with soreness, but not performance enhancement[xlix].
If you’re just starting out with your exercise habit, it’s possible that soreness will pose a barrier for you to exercise again in two or three days. If you feel like experimenting, have a massage (deep sports massage, not the regular relaxing light massage) on the muscles that were the most active during your bout of exercise. Even if it doesn’t help with physical recovery, it should help reduce soreness – and that, in turn, will make it a bit easier to exercise again.
Surprisingly, caffeine is good not only for turning zombies into people in the morning, but also for reducing muscle soreness.
A 2013 study has shown that ingesting caffeine immediately before upper-body resistance training enhances performance. Moreover, sustained caffeine ingestion in the days after the exercise decreased the perception of soreness[l].
Turns out you have yet another good reason to keep drinking coffee or tea. Granted, caffeine pills will most likely work better than drinking tea or coffee, but a much more pleasant drink should still help by not only giving you more energy for the workout, but also reducing the pain after it.
Studies on small sample sizes suggest that proper nutrition can help with recovery as well as muscle soreness.
For instance, a 2006 study on 17 men showed that amino acid supplementation reduces exercise-associated muscle strength loss[li].
A 2010 study on 12 women has confirmed the same findings that muscle damage may be suppressed by BCAA supplementation prior to exercise[lii].
The simplest way to get amino acids shortly before exercise is to consume BCAA’s (branched chain amino acids). They can be bought in capsule or powder form in every store with supplements (and most likely in your gym, too).
Antioxidants are another part of the puzzle. They reduce excessive inflammation, thus promoting recovery and reducing pain.
A 1996 paper on the role of antioxidant vitamins and enzymes in the prevention of exercise-induced muscle damage states outright that “the question whether antioxidant vitamins and antioxidant enzymes play a protective role in exercise-induced muscle damage can be answered affirmatively. The human studies reviewed indicate that antioxidant vitamin supplementation can be recommended to individuals performing regular heavy exercise”[liii].
A 2012 study on blueberries and exercise-induced muscle damage has shown that a blueberry smoothie prior to and after exercise accelerates recovery of muscle peak isometric strength.
There are also studies covering the beneficial recovery-boosting effects of cherry juice.
In one British study, drinking 12 fl oz (0.35 l) of cherry juice twice a day for eight days has been found to decrease some of the symptoms of exercise induced muscle damage[liv].
Another study in 2011 agrees, showing that Montmorency cherry juice reduces muscle damage caused by intensive strength exercise[lv].
Yet another study in 2010 on tart cherry juice following marathon running has also confirmed the same findings. As the scientists noted: “The cherry juice appears to provide a viable means to aid recovery following strenuous exercise by increasing total anti-oxidative capacity, reducing inflammation, lipid peroxidation and so aiding in the recovery of muscle function”[lvi].
Last but not least, a 2010 American study has shown that ingesting tart cherry juice for 7 days prior to and during a strenuous running event can minimize post-run muscle pain[lvii].
All of these studies suggest that foods rich in antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties may help reduce muscle damage and pain during strenuous exercise. Stock up on berries and tart cherry juice, consume them prior to and after exercising, and you’ll suffer less after your first workouts and have more willpower to continue.
It’s important to precede each exercise session with a proper warm-up (pre-workout) and follow it with a cool-down routine of exercises like jumping jacks, stationary bike, jogging, etc. The goal of a warm-up is to get your body ready for the exercise and reduce the risk of injuries. The objective of a cool-down is to help your body transition from exercise to rest.
A 2007 paper has shown that you should perform a warm-up and a stretching protocol within the 15 minutes prior to physical activity to receive the most benefit and deter injuries[lviii].
A 2010 meta-analysis on 32 studies determined that a warm-up improves performance in 79% of the criterions examined and that “there is little evidence to suggest that warming-up is detrimental to sports participants.[lix]” While more well-conducted studies are needed to prove the beneficial role of a warm-up, it’s safe to say a warm-up is as necessary as every sports coach will tell you.
There are two types of stretching, both of which are necessary for injury prevention as well as improving recovery and minimizing muscle pain.
The first type is static stretching, the one you’re probably more familiar with – holding a stretch for 30 to 90 seconds, usually with a burning feeling in the muscles being stretched.
This type of stretching should only be done after your workouts, and never before them because it can impair strength by causing joint instability[lx]. A 2013 meta-analysis has concluded that the usage of static stretching as the sole activity during warm-up routine should generally be avoided due to reduced strength, power, and explosive performance[lxi].
Static stretching – when done after a workout – is beneficial for recovery and strength increases, but not necessarily for DOMS (a 2011 meta-analysis suggests it doesn’t reduce DOMS at all[lxii]).
As former Soviet Special Forces physical training instructor Pavel Tsatsouline writes in his article, “The benefits of stretching are enormous. Stretching can increase your strength by 10%. It is a lot. The man [Russian Master of Sports Alexander Faleev] explains that ‘when you lift a weight your muscles contract. And after the workout the muscles remain contracted for some time. The following restoration of the muscles’ length is what recovery is. Until the muscle has restored its length, it has not recovered. Hence he who does not stretch his muscles slows down the recuperation process and retards his gains.’ Besides, tension and relaxation are two sides of the same coin, ‘if the muscle forgets how to lengthen, it will contract more poorly. And that is stagnation of strength’”[lxiii].
I learned my lesson about the power of static stretching when my manual therapist recommended I start doing it after each climbing session for the pain in my finger joints and feet (both common among beginning climbers) and for general injury prevention for the entire body. After just a week, I noticed a considerable decrease in pain and greatly improved overall flexibility when climbing. Three weeks later, the pain was almost non-existent. I’ve been a believer ever since.
The second type of stretching is dynamic stretching, also called ballistic stretching. You should do this type before exercise along with a warm-up. Unlike static stretching, a 2008 study found dynamic stretching improves power, strength, muscular endurance, anaerobic capacity, and agility performance[lxiv].
Once I started putting more focus on dynamic stretching and warm-ups before my climbing sessions, I reduced the occurrence of little pains when climbing and enjoyed greater flexibility, too.
Explaining how to perform static or dynamic stretches goes beyond the scope of this book. A quick YouTube search will provide you with all the routines you need for proper pre- and post-workout stretching.
A 2015 Thai and Malaysian study has shown that visiting a sauna before exercise can help reduce delayed onset muscle soreness of the wrist extensors[lxv]. These findings are consistent with general advice that if you want to treat muscle soreness, increasing blood flow to the muscles and subsequent increased oxygen delivery may help you feel better.
Sports medicine specialist David Geier says in an article on saunas and recovery that a sauna “causes you to sweat and can help release endorphins. And the heat also increases blood flow to the muscle and the periphery of the body, which probably does help sore muscles feel better temporarily.”
He also points out that while sitting in a sauna is not a good idea after a workout – sitting in a sauna for more than five minutes is a form of passive exercise that will delay the recovery process – spending a few minutes in a sauna before your workout is a better idea because it “may indeed help you feel warmed up and relieve some immediate muscle pain”[lxvi].
To sum up, while a post-workout sauna probably won’t help much long-term, it will make you feel better temporarily and can prepare you psychologically for the next workout. For the most benefit, consider a few minutes in a sauna before exercising.
Proper recovery can’t happen without high-quality sleep. Numerous studies have shown that sleep loss – and especially chronic sleep loss[lxvii] – negatively affects human performance to a great extent[lxviii],[lxix].
A 2014 review has shown that sleep deprivation can have “significant effects on athletic performance, especially submaximal, prolonged exercise. Compromised sleep may also influence learning, memory, cognition, pain perception, immunity and inflammation”[lxx].
There’s no question that sleep is a mandatory part of a proper recovery regimen. Ideally, you should sleep enough hours every single day, and not try to catch up on sleep on the weekends. Recovery sleep during the weekend won’t magically eliminate all of the symptoms of lack of sleep[lxxi] as more time is needed to fix long-term sleep deprivation.
What’s interesting, lack of sleep may increase pain sensitivity for both acute pain (lasting less than 3 to 6 months) and chronic pain[lxxii]. If you suffer from an injury or have any chronic pain, you should pay even more attention to getting enough sleep.
As for the amount of sleep you should get, it all depends on how you feel. After particularly exhausting days (swimming, tennis, and climbing all during the same day) I sleep for up to 10 hours or more if I feel I need it. I don’t berate myself in the morning for not waking up early enough. The two additional hours I could “gain” if I woke up earlier would extend my recovery time while also reducing my general sense of well-being and performance.
Last but not least, the news you probably don’t want to hear: one of the best ways to reduce DOMS is to exercise again.
Exercise-induced hypoalgesia (increased pain thresholds and pain tolerance thanks to exercise) has been proven to occur in endurance training in sports like running, cycling, and swimming[lxxiii]. If you suffer from muscle soreness, going on a bike ride, jogging, or having a swim can temporarily help soothe the pain.
Whenever I suffer from DOMS, I usually exercise more despite the pain. You won’t feel the pain while exercising nearly as much as you expect, and the soreness will be greatly reduced after the workout.
Please keep in mind you don’t have to engage your muscles with the same intensity as the day before. Light exercise – even if it’s just a simple walk for leg soreness – will help.