Do you always feel that the body hurts so much after exercise in the gym? It feels like just lying at home all day! Such muscle pain is indeed common, especially in those parts of the body that are trained with certain sports equipment.
Usually, muscle pain appears 1-2 days after exercise. The pain and the period of time experienced also depend on the intensity of the exercise performed.
However, you should not panic. Muscle pain after training the body in the gym is normal. Generally, the pain does not last long. This actually indicates that the muscles and body are developing.
Why Do Muscles Feel Sore After Exercise in the Gym?
Reporting from the National Health Service, England, muscle pain after physical activity is known as delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). This condition usually appears when you first try a new physical activity, change your exercise routine, or increase the duration or intensity of exercise.
When the muscles are forced to work harder than usual or in different ways, there is a kind of microscopic damage (the object cannot be seen by the eye) in the muscle fibers. This is what causes aches and pains in the muscles.
Fortunately, the pain in this muscle will decrease and recover on its own when the muscles are used to the physical activity performed. Basically, muscle pain after exercise is part of the adaptation process so that the body becomes stronger.
DOMS can generally be felt for 3-5 days, depending on how heavy the pain is and daily activities. However, that doesn’t mean you can underestimate all types of pain after exercising in the gym.
Reporting from Self.com, research revealed by physiologist Joel Seedman, Ph.D., said muscles can atrophy and are very painful from working too hard. You certainly can’t let the muscles recover on their own.
Preventing Muscle Pain After Exercise
Muscles that are sore after exercise often appear. However, this does not mean that it cannot be prevented so that the pain is not too intense. Here are some things you can do.
- Start an exercise routine in a gradual way, not going straight to the level of weight so that the muscles get used to it.
- Don’t miss warming up and stretching before exercising. This is very important to reduce the risk of injury that can occur.
- Before exercising in the gym or other physical activities, fulfill your nutritional needs first with nutritious food and drinks. Also prepare water so as not to dehydrate during exercise.
How to Overcome Post-Workout Muscle Pain?
The best and simplest cure for a DOMS is actually a sufficient rest period. However, there are several ways that you can do to relieve pain and speed up recovery, including the following.
1. Use an Ice Pack
Ice packs can help you reduce the pain of muscle aches after a workout. However, it’s okay when you prefer warm compresses to relieve pain. The step that can be tried is to soak in warm water.
2. Suffice Body Fluids
Good body hydration, especially from water, can reduce pain in the muscles. When muscles are damaged, remnants of removal and toxins are formed that must be removed from the body.
The rest of such discharge can affect the pain in the muscles. Plain water can help remove such useless substances from the body with the help of the kidneys and liver.
3. Keep Body Movements Slowly
It may feel difficult, but just staying in bed will not make muscle pain better. By moving slowly, the blood flow continues to run smoothly and helps the recovery of muscle pain.
Good nutrients that are channeled through the bloodstream can also reach the parts of the muscles that need it.
Activities with gentle movements such as leisurely walking and light stretching can be done. Also keep in mind, the movements made must be really slow and for a while. This is so as not to trigger muscle pain that gets worse.
4. Meet the Body’s Protein Needs
Protein is a very important nutrient for building and maintaining muscle. So, it is not surprising that the consumption of sufficient protein is indispensable in muscle recovery from pain.
5. Maximum Rest
This is one of the important keys in the recovery of muscle pain. If you are less rested and move too much during activities, the recovery of muscle pain will become longer.