Should I exercise when I'm really sore?

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ahkunkel
ahkunkel Posts: 68
in Fitness and Exercise
The past few days I have been doing some really intense workouts (including butts and gutts, spin, insanity ) and today I feel like I can barely move. My legs, butt, shoulders and abs are so sore that its hard for me to get out of bed without saying "ouch"! I really want to work out again today, but will I just kill my muscles more by working out? It's not supposed to be my day off but i'll take it off if in the long run it will help me to get better faster. What do you think?

Replies

  • 4lafz
    4lafz Posts: 1,078 Member
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    Change it up - take a walk, bike ride, swim, Zumba - something else. OR - take a day off and do something else tomorrow.
  • lutzsher
    lutzsher Posts: 1,153 Member
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    Try for a good walk today instead . . . not a slow walk, but work up to a good brisk pace and get your heart pumping. When you are sore it is important to still get up and move, warm up those muscles, but don't work them too hard.
  • CORTNEY5
    CORTNEY5 Posts: 87 Member
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    I am in the same boat! Can't wait to hear the answer!! I almost fell on the floor when I got out of bed this morning!!! :smile:
  • mccorml
    mccorml Posts: 622 Member
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    your doing insanity i felt sore because i skipped the ending stretch in the workout the second day the third tho i did the stretches as best i could im still sore but less sore i feel great
  • T_R_A_V
    T_R_A_V Posts: 1,629 Member
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    If you are that sore, I would take a day off....or just exercise with something that is not as physically demanding and intensive as you have been
  • jamie1888
    jamie1888 Posts: 1,704 Member
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    It's OK to take a day off to let your body recover. But, yes, a good brisk walk can help recovery!
  • daniface
    daniface Posts: 338 Member
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    yes!!!! although it seems like the last thing you want to do, you should go for a light run or even a walk then have a nice long strech. It will help get that blood flowing to those sore muscles, which in turn helps them recover faster!!!
  • daniface
    daniface Posts: 338 Member
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    or a swim a swim would really help you stretch out :]
  • pleary
    pleary Posts: 3
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    Take a break or take it easy (do something that uses different muscle groups). You don't want to hurt yourself. You need to give your muscles time to rebuild themselves and make sure to stretch & ice those sore muscles!
  • marinabrazil
    marinabrazil Posts: 106 Member
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    I know how you feel. I have done intense workout for years and have ALWAYS encountered this situation: wanted to workout more and couldn't move a muscle. When I started P90X (REALLY intense workouts) I thought it would all happen again. But then I bought the solution of all my problems: PROTEIN SHAKE!!! Holy cow girl...I can kick some serious butt on exercising but I wake up the next day brand new!

    If you take protein shake (you can drink it with no-fat milk, its delicious!) right after exercising it will restore your muscles. The hurt that you feel the other day is your muscles that were literally torn to pieces, but, if you restore it quickly enough (thus get stronger) you will hardly feel it the next day. ITs a kind of high calorie intake but you can exchange your afternoon or morning snack for it because it really fills you up!

    Hope I could help...
  • DJKimE
    DJKimE Posts: 9 Member
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    I was super sore today too and decided to just do the Stretch video off P90X. I'm still sore but if felt good to do it.
  • poodlepaws
    poodlepaws Posts: 269 Member
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    seems to be quite a few of us in the sore boat today!

    I'm trying to decide on what to do for my workout today with being sore.
  • jenthestrawberry
    jenthestrawberry Posts: 93 Member
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    My trainer would say YES, go work out. I think the people who suggested swimming or walking have a great mid-way solution! Exercise, especially of the muscles that hurt causes increased blood flow, and reduced pain!

    WebMD has a fantastic article on this subject. "When muscle temperature is increased, blood flow increases, bringing fresh oxygen and healing nutrients to the injured site, This increased blood flow also helps to wash away the chemical irritants responsible for pain."

    http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/guide/sore-muscles-keep-exercising?page=2

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