Are you Over-doing it When you Exercise?

Last entry we discussed proper footwear for our exercise endeavors.  Today, let's talk about our body's response to exercise. 

For those of you who do not exercise frequently or are just getting started again this year, chances are you are going to get sore. Don't let that initial soreness deter you from trying to exercise.  If you understand what that soreness means, then you can make a much better decision about when and how to resume exercising.

After a bout of exercise, particularly one that is either new to you, at a higher level than you are accustomed to, or that you haven't done in a while, you may experience muscular soreness anywhere from twenty-four to seventy-two hours later.  This soreness is called Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness, or DOMS for short.  This is considered a muscle injury, and the degree of injury can be from very mild to very painful in extreme cases.  Most of us are going to be on the mild end of the spectrum. 

This muscle soreness is actually part of the repair process as the muscle repairs in an attempt to make itself stronger.  Individuals who lift weights to build strength know this feeling all too well.

The theory is very simple. When you lift weights that are heavier than your muscles are accustomed to lift, they will get slightly injured. Your body then realizes that the muscles are injured and then not only repairs them, but also builds them stronger. This is the process of "training" your body to lift heavier weight, or what we all call weight training.

Think of the soreness as a part of the process of getting yourself physically fit. On an interesting side note - don"t be suprised if your soreness intensifies 1-2 days after you exercise. That is actually normal and I know that sometimes people get concerned by that.

When dealing with DOMS you should use common sense. Let the soreness be your guide when returning to exercise. We talked about changing intensity levels when exercising in the very first blog post, and that holds true. 

Can you resume exercise if you are a little sore?  Yes, but monitor how you feel.  For instance, if your soreness increases as you resume exercise you should stop, but you will find that many times the soreness actually dissipates if you lower your intensity.

If DOMS is very uncomfortable you can absolutely use ice to decrease the intensity of soreness.  The soreness should not last longer than a few days to one week maximum - which brings us to our next blog topic.  How do you know if you are just sore or if you need to get help for your injury.

As always, comments and questions on the blog are encouraged.  You can also reach me at: www.nextsteppt.com   email: nextstep@nextsteppt.com 

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Yours in Health,

Chris Ostling PT, DPT