Spirit Health Coach
More gain,
less pain
How to speed up your
recovery after a workout
By Heather R. Johnson
Y
ou felt like the queen of the mountain on that
strenuous hike with your friends. But the next
morning, you were so sore you could barely
walk. How do you ease the pain?
Just about anyone who exercises will experience
delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) at
some point. DOMS—another way of describing
micro trauma to the muscle fibers, which causes
inflammation—is usually most apparent 24 to 48
hours after a workout, and eases up after 72 hours.
It's not the same as a strain or sprain: "It's your
muscles breaking down and remodeling," says Imee
Harsuvanakit, a physical therapist in California.
Although any new activity can cause DOMS, eccentric
muscle contractions (where the muscle lengthens) cause
most of the soreness. Eccentric contractions include
downhill running, lowering into a squat or lowering
your arm during a bicep curl. While most of us feel
better within a couple of days, genetics, age and overall
fitness can affect recovery rate. "Some people just
recover more easily," says Harsuvanakit. "If you stay on
a regular daily fitness routine, your recovery rate over
time should get faster."
In the meantime, try incorporating these strategies
before and after your next workout to improve your
post-exercise recovery.
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