Should you keep working out even if your body feels exhausted?
Everyone has at least one experience with muscle soreness following exercise. It worsens when you exercise more intensely or after prolonged inactivity. Muscle soreness and stiffness that develop one to two days after exercise, rather than right away, is known as “delayed onset muscle soreness.” Therefore, should you rest or keep working out when you have muscle soreness?
Experts recommend resting for a few days if you experience severe muscle pain. Microscopically damaged muscle fibers cause delayed onset muscle soreness, which typically goes away after two to four days of rest. However, it might indicate that you overexerted yourself if your muscles or joints still hurt after 48 hours. Inflammation is likely to happen, and muscle damage will worsen if you exercise too hard while in this condition. For a precise diagnosis, it is advised to see an orthopedic surgeon or sports medicine specialist if the pain persists even after resting for more than a week.
You risk making your muscles extremely hard and stiff if you ignore delayed-onset muscle soreness and continue pushing through intense workouts. In extreme circumstances, it may progress to a condition known as “rhabdomyolysis.” This illness causes the muscles to become so damaged that proteins, potassium, and phosphorus from the cells seep into the blood, harming organs like the liver and kidneys. After exercising, you should exercise caution if you experience a sluggish feeling or swelling in a particular area. Additionally, dark brown urine is probably an indication of rhabdomyolysis, so you should go to the hospital right away.
Following exercise, stretching and foam roller massage are useful techniques for reducing muscle soreness. Stretching promotes blood flow and aids in the healing of injured muscles. It is advised to hold the muscles for 10 to 20 seconds after stretching them to the limit without bouncing. Stiff muscles can be effectively loosened with a foam roller massage. Laying down or sitting down, place the foam roller underneath the painful area and apply your body weight to it, rubbing it up and down. Rapidly releasing lactic acid that has built up in the muscles helps reduce delayed-onset muscle soreness.
Stretching and foam roller massage can increase muscle flexibility and lower the chance of injury before and after exercise. This is due to the fluidity of the collagen and elastin components within the fascia, which increases the range of motion of the joints. Drinking adequate water is also crucial when exercising. Drinking an electrolyte-containing beverage is advised if you perspire a lot because dehydration can impede muscle recovery and exacerbate pain.
To prevent muscle soreness, avoid starting with an excessively high exercise intensity. Maintaining moderate exercise intensity is ideal because it allows you to sweat moderately and avoid joint strain. If you experience joint pain during or after exercise, it is best to stop exercising immediately and take a break. Increasing the intensity of the exercise by roughly 10% each week is appropriate. You should take at least two days off after engaging in high-intensity exercise to allow your muscles to recover adequately.
