When your muscles are sore after a workout, it can feel really validating.

(Weknowyouvefelt a bit of prideafter your glutes ached from that extra set of squats.

No pain, no gain, right?)

woman bending over out of breath from workout

Post-workout muscle soreness is common, but you can find DOMS relief with simple strategies.

Post-workout muscle soreness is a common reaction to training.

The small microtears to our muscles cause pain and usher in inflammation, she says.

Its a normal part of the muscle growth andstrength-building process.

But more muscle soreness or DOMS doesnotequal better or quicker muscle-building or strength-building results, Miranda says.

What types of workouts cause muscle soreness?

Unfortunately, this can make it tricky to tell when youre overdoing it.

Are there different types of muscle soreness?

Acute muscle soreness refers to that burn youre feelingwhileyoure exercising, says Miranda.

So while DOMS wont rear up for hours or days, youll experience acute muscle soreness during your workout.

But with an injury, the pain or discomfort tends to be more focused.

Another possible way to tell which kind youre experiencing?

In that case, it might be worth visiting your doctor or physical therapist.

Is it okay to exercise with sore muscles?

How sore is too sore after a workout?

In general, its considered okay to exercise with sore muscles to a certain degree.

You dont want to continue to fatigue or stress the muscles that feel sore, he says.

What helps relieve muscle soreness after a tough workout?

Unfortunately, if youre already in the throes of monumental muscle soreness, the only surefire remedy is time.

Yes, this sucks.

This is because activity increases circulation, improving blood flow throughout the body.

If you might manage it, Seedman also recommends some very light strength training.

Blood flow is huge, and thats why strength training is so productive, he says.

Its one of the best ways to get blood flow [directly] into those muscles.

Seedman suggests using just 25 to 50% of the weight youd normally use, or stick tobodyweight exercises.

Step two:Drink water.

A brief body of research shows a correlation between dehydration and increased muscle soreness and DOMS, says Seedman.

The main theory here is that water helps flush out waste products, Seedman says.

Again, the keyword islight.

But more isnt always more.

You have to be careful, says Seedman.

So how do you know how far is too far?

This doesnt mean excessively high amounts of protein, necessarily.

But when youre super sore, any fleeting relief (as long as its safe) is worth it.

Ice can help reduce the swelling that sometimes comes along with extreme soreness, says Seedman.

Bringing the swelling down can help reduce some pain-causing tension.

Elevating your legs (if thats where youre sore) can also help with this.

However, heat can also minimize tension and pain signals, says Seedman.

So if relaxing in a warm bath makes you feel better, do that.

McCall also notes that this may help with circulation.

The ACSM says thatmassaging tender pointscan help ease the symptoms of DOMS.

But, obviously, visiting a masseuse every time you go hard at the gym isnt totally realistic.

Thats where self-massagewhether it be with arecovery toollike afoam rolleror amassage gunor even just with your handscan be helpful.

Its so simple, but it will make a huge difference.

Using them here and there for pain relief and to decrease swelling is fine, Pennington says.

These mainly irritate the nerve endings on the surface of the skin, Pennington says.

If it feels good, its fine to use them and they wont hurt you.

But physiologically, do they do much?

No, he says.

Its going to make you feel better temporarily, but you shouldnt hide a problem with a topical analgesic.

Progress slowly with new workout types, says Miranda.

Foam rolling after your workoutmay also help reduce the intensity of DOMS.

Bottom line: Time should heal your soreness, as long as its not something more serious.

While youre recovering, its also important to watch for signs of a deeper health problem.

If you notice these signs, get to a doctor ASAP.

Additional reporting by Korin Miller

Sources:

Related: