We’ve all heard the saying “no pain, no gain,” and we probably have said it to ourselves when those sore muscles after workout begin to hit us. However, muscle soreness is not always a sign of a good and effective workout or sustainable progress. We need to rest our muscles for them to grow and become stronger.

While it’s normal to feel muscle soreness when you’re new or getting back to working out, starting a new fitness programme, or after an intense training session, it shouldn’t always be the case. We should also be able to enjoy our workouts without suffering from sore muscles.

Reasons for sore muscles include engaging in a strenuous physical activity our bodies are not quite used to, causing muscle fibres to stretch and tear. Once we’ve established a regular and consistent training plan, our bodies naturally become more conditioned to exercise with stronger muscles, meaning we don’t feel as sore because our muscles don’t tear up as easily.

Should I workout with sore muscles? To answer this question, you must first know what type of muscle soreness you’re dealing with. At Alchemy Personal Training, we fuel our clients’ commitment to their body transformation goals without compromising safety from injury due to overtraining. Our expert coaches can guide you when it's best to push through working out with sore muscles and when it’s better to focus on recovery. Plus, tips to relieve sore muscles.

Types of Muscle Soreness After Workout

• Acute Muscle Soreness

Acute muscle soreness is felt during or immediately after the workout. It’s when your muscles burn after a certain number of reps or a prolonged period of high-intensity movements. Lactic acid buildup is one of the reasons for sore muscles during and after training sessions. It’s your body’s way of fueling muscles when oxygen is in short supply, hence why breathwork is important to exercise. Acute muscle soreness usually subsides as fast as it occurs or within a few hours.

• Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS)

Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), also known as muscle fever, is felt 24 to 48 hours post-workout and could last up to a week. Your muscles may feel achy, tight, or stiff, making it difficult for you to move a muscle or body part as you normally would. It’s temporary and minor muscle damage resulting from physical exertion your muscles are not accustomed to. DOMS can occur anytime you’re new to an exercise or after modifying your workout routine. It becomes less likely as your muscles become stronger to support a range of movements or exercise with proper form.

Working Out With Sore Muscles vs. Resting

As personal trainers, we guide clients to exercise with proper form, enabling them to activate and challenge the right muscle groups to yield the desired fitness results. If your muscle soreness is restricting your body’s range of motion or ability to execute good exercise form, we would advise you to rest. Exercising in bad form to avoid movement that triggers pain is counterproductive and only increases the risk of injury. Also, rest when you’re absolutely exhausted.

At Alchemy Personal Training in Wilmslow, we prioritise exercise safety with customised training plans that include strategic rest periods to give your muscles enough time to repair and rebuild. We avoid overtraining by targeting different muscle groups and alternate between strength and cardio sessions. We also encourage you to pay attention to your body’s signals instead of overriding them to the point of burnout or injury.

If you’re experiencing intense discomfort during or after working out, like a sharp pain lasting longer than a week, we recommend seeing a healthcare provider. Other symptoms of injury you need to watch out for are swelling, bruising, tingling, or numbness in certain areas of your body.

What Helps Sore Muscles After Workout

• Engage in Active Recovery

Sometimes, the best remedy for sore muscles after workout is still exercise. We recommend active recovery days where you engage in light, low-impact, and mobility exercises. These include and are not limited to walking, swimming, or yoga to keep blood flowing to your muscles, which reduces soreness and stiffness. You can also opt to target or isolate muscle groups that aren’t sore, like focusing on upper body exercises while your lower body recovers and vice versa.

• Get a Post-Workout Massage or Use a Foam Roller

Sore muscles after a workout are the perfect reason to get a well-deserved massage or give yourself one using a foam roller. At Alchemy, our personal trainers give clients a post-workout massage to relieve muscle soreness and tension and reduce inflammation. Massages also accelerate muscle recovery by promoting the circulation of blood, oxygen, and nutrients.

• Try Hot and Cold Therapies

Applying a cold compress or taking an ice bath can be as effective as using a heating pad or going in a sauna to relieve sore muscles. You can try both hot and cold therapies and stick to what works for you or switch between them.

• Wear Compression Gear

What you wear to the gym influences how you feel before, during, and after a workout. We suggest wearing compression gear to help stabilise your body and prevent lactic buildup, which is one of the reasons for sore muscles. It also makes you less prone to delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) by maintaining optimal oxygen levels and blood flow in muscles post-workout.

• Prioritise Hydration and Nutrition

Drinking water boosts circulation in the body, helps flush out toxins, and prevents muscle cramps. Eating anti-inflammatory foods rich in antioxidants and good sources of protein can relieve sore muscles and allow you to recover faster.

• Sleep

Remember that you build muscle during recovery, not while working out. Sleep regulates hormones that allow our bodies to function properly, including growth hormones and anti-inflammatory hormones, which relieve sore muscles while boosting growth and repair.

Final Thoughts on Working Out With Sore Muscles

Working out with sore muscles is okay and safe as long as it does not compromise your form during exercise and you don’t feel fatigued. On the other hand, if sore muscles are restricting your range of motion and you already feel exhausted coming into the workout, it could be your body’s way of telling you to prioritise rest.

At Alchemy Personal Training, we provide our clients with progressive overload workout plans. We challenge your body in safe ways to maximise muscle repair and growth. Our personal trainers in Wilmslow help minimise muscle soreness by guiding you in activating and conditioning the right muscle groups during exercise. We motivate and reinforce your commitment to your fitness goals by enabling you to enjoy working out and all its health benefits.