Sore Newbie; tips?

danielasaur

Hey all! I've started working out recently, mainly interval cardio on a treadmill, some YouTube cardio/calisthenics and a bit of strength stuff! I'm happy to be working out, because I know it'll be good for me, and it'll help me achieve my weight goals, but I am SO SORE! Any tips for getting rid of muscle soreness? Or tips on how to avoid it in the first place? I'll be the first to say that I've never trained particularly well, but I'd love to learn!

AmyRhubarb

Avoiding it in the first place is best, but hard sometimes, especially when you're first starting out or getting back to it. So when I've had a break from workouts for whatever reason, I always intentionally go slower, lift lighter, and ease myself back in, because being so sore that you can't get in our out of the car, or go up a few steps without debilitating pain just sucks!

But since you're already sore, make sure you're drinking plenty of water, and eating good amounts of protein, which are both good for muscle repair. Stretching, walking, using a foam roller can all help as well, but mostly it's time and rest. Don't be afraid to back off a bit or take an easy or rest day when you're super sore - your body will thank you for it.

Good luck!

Chargunshow

Sore muscles are caused from a build up of lactic acid in the muscles. Stretching, rolling, moving (working out!), hot baths, some pain medicine (Aleve or ibuprofen) can all help. If you are just starting out, that can be normal. You can dial back your workouts a bit or you can just power through. Pain isn't always an indicator of injury.

I'm always a bit sore from my workouts. I see it as an indication that I'm working hard and challenging myself. If I didn't feel a bit sore I'd think I wasn't working hard enough.

danielasaur

AmyRhubarb wrote: »

Avoiding it in the first place is best, but hard sometimes, especially when you're first starting out or getting back to it. So when I've had a break from workouts for whatever reason, I always intentionally go slower, lift lighter, and ease myself back in, because being so sore that you can't get in our out of the car, or go up a few steps without debilitating pain just sucks!

But since you're already sore, make sure you're drinking plenty of water, and eating good amounts of protein, which are both good for muscle repair. Stretching, walking, using a foam roller can all help as well, but mostly it's time and rest. Don't be afraid to back off a bit or take an easy or rest day when you're super sore - your body will thank you for it.

Good luck!

Awesome! Thanks for the advice! Do you think I should be ingesting my protein via protein rich foods, or should I invest in some protein supplements? Never really considered them before (kinda thought they were exclusively for beefy bodybuilders) but if they'd help with the soreness I could give them a shot?

danielasaur

Chargunshow wrote: »

Sore muscles are caused from a build up of lactic acid in the muscles. Stretching, rolling, moving (working out!), hot baths, some pain medicine (Aleve or ibuprofen) can all help. If you are just starting out, that can be normal. You can dial back your workouts a bit or you can just power through. Pain isn't always an indicator of injury.

I'm always a bit sore from my workouts. I see it as an indication that I'm working hard and challenging myself. If I didn't feel a bit sore I'd think I wasn't working hard enough.

I agree about needing to feel at least a LITTLE soreness to feel as though my workout did anything, but I'm so sore in my shoulders/back/arms especially that it's hard for me to do even basic things like washing my hair or high fiving :P I think I'll opt for a hot bath tonight!

gin_7

danielasaur wrote: »

Hey all! I've started working out recently, mainly interval cardio on a treadmill, some YouTube cardio/calisthenics and a bit of strength stuff! I'm happy to be working out, because I know it'll be good for me, and it'll help me achieve my weight goals, but I am SO SORE! Any tips for getting rid of muscle soreness? Or tips on how to avoid it in the first place? I'll be the first to say that I've never trained particularly well, but I'd love to learn!

You can foam roll whatever body part you workout before and after your work out. Cold tubs for 15 min at night. Muscle rub. Consume a great amount of pineapples because they have a protease enzyme called bromelain which helps with digestion and also clears the body of dead or inflamed tissue. Also antihistamines because they reduce swelling at site of injury, sending blood to those areas, accelerating recovery. Heat packs as well, for blood circulation. I'm assured any combination of those will alleviate your infirmity.

danielasaur

virginia_bunch wrote: »

danielasaur wrote: »

Hey all! I've started working out recently, mainly interval cardio on a treadmill, some YouTube cardio/calisthenics and a bit of strength stuff! I'm happy to be working out, because I know it'll be good for me, and it'll help me achieve my weight goals, but I am SO SORE! Any tips for getting rid of muscle soreness? Or tips on how to avoid it in the first place? I'll be the first to say that I've never trained particularly well, but I'd love to learn!

You can foam roll whatever body part you workout before and after your work out. Cold tubs for 15 min at night. Muscle rub. Consume a great amount of pineapples because they have a protease enzyme called bromelain which helps with digestion and also clears the body of dead or inflamed tissue. Also antihistamines because they reduce swelling at site of injury, sending blood to those areas, accelerating recovery. Heat packs as well, for blood circulation. I'm assured any combination of those will alleviate your infirmity.

Wow, thanks so much for the great tips!! I'll definitely implement more than a couple!