No Pain, No Gain Right? HELP!!!!! ADVICE NEEDED!!!

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sofulnaturalee
sofulnaturalee Posts: 391 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I have recently decided to walk the stairs on my 15 min breaks just this week. I go from the 1st floor to the 8th none stop for 15 min twice a day.


Here's the thing. The first day I started out taking every step. Now I do every other step. My legs are killing me. Mostly my calfs and quads. It's to the point where I can hardly walk. Even though my legs have been hurting I still have been walking the stairs. Thinking Pain cancels out Pain. When I walk the steps it doesn't hurt as bad. It's when I'm finished or later in the day the pain increases.

I have tried stretching and massaging my legs. It feels good but the pain is still there. I know I just started doing this and there will be pain. I'm just wondering should I just suck it up and continue doing what I have been doing and it will eventually get better? Should I stop for a few days and do something else? If you have any advice please let me know :-)

Replies

  • jonesin_am
    jonesin_am Posts: 404 Member
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    Drink a lot of water. Water will help the muscles recoup faster and flush out the lactic acid. If I were you I would keep doing it. Fight through the burn, you will be happy you did. I like the saying that pain is weakness leaving the body and chant that to myself when I need to hear it. Nice job taking the stairs!!
  • susannahsutton1
    susannahsutton1 Posts: 372
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    Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) can last for up to 72 hours. The best cure for DOMS is actually more exercise, so yes, in theory, suck it up and walk through it. BUT, if this is a new exercise, you may be injured, so it is probably worth doing something different, e.g. swimming or low-impact for at least 72 hours. If your legs stop hurting, you know it was just DOMS, if they don't you might be injured.

    I'm all about No Pain, No Gain, but have had my share of injuries, so please be careful!
  • Superdave24
    Superdave24 Posts: 158 Member
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    I would agree with both posts. Lactic acid build up with the first thing on my mind when I read your post. This is very normal when someone just begins a new workout routine. A decent amino acid would actually help as well. I can't remember which 1 but I'm gonna look it up. I agree with the no pain no gain although you may want to take a day off just to let your muscles recoup and repair themselves. Because rest is where your muscles grow.
  • TR0berts
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
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    you may want to take a day off just to let your muscles recoup and repair themselves. Because rest is where your muscles grow.

    Yes. At least go at it easier - I'm guessing you have two 15-minute breaks? Just do the stairs on one of those breaks. And/or only do half the stairs. I don't mean go up twice as many at a time - but go up one flight, instead of two. That way, you'll still be giving the muscles a slight workout (which will help stretch them somewhat) but you shouldn't overwork them that way.
  • lilRicki
    lilRicki Posts: 4,555 Member
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    take some Advil, drink lots of water, increase your protein (have a protein snack after you do the stairs) and KEEP GOING! I get wicked DOMS on the 2nd day after my workout, I find a hot bath, and some Advil does the trick.
  • daj150
    daj150 Posts: 815 Member
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    Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) can last for up to 72 hours. The best cure for DOMS is actually more exercise, so yes, in theory, suck it up and walk through it. BUT, if this is a new exercise, you may be injured, so it is probably worth doing something different, e.g. swimming or low-impact for at least 72 hours. If your legs stop hurting, you know it was just DOMS, if they don't you might be injured.

    I'm all about No Pain, No Gain, but have had my share of injuries, so please be careful!

    Bumping this response. Always take it easy when just starting out with any exercise. If you try to go all out right away, you will just get injured and not have the progress you want. Remember, progress is the key word.
  • TinaCleg
    TinaCleg Posts: 87
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    Oh I am with you! Thank you for posting this. I am so sore from running ( just started) and I am walking super slow today. I only walked a mile this morning because my legs are killing me!
  • NCchar130
    NCchar130 Posts: 955 Member
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    Sitting in an epsom salt bath may help relieve some of that pain too.
  • sofulnaturalee
    sofulnaturalee Posts: 391 Member
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    Drink a lot of water. Water will help the muscles recoup faster and flush out the lactic acid. If I were you I would keep doing it. Fight through the burn, you will be happy you did. I like the saying that pain is weakness leaving the body and chant that to myself when I need to hear it. Nice job taking the stairs!!

    I drink only water. So that's not the case. But i'm goin to fight through the burn. I never heard the saying "pain is weakness leaving the body" :-) I love that. I'm going to have to type that, print it out, post it at my desk, over my house, and in my car. Thanks
  • sofulnaturalee
    sofulnaturalee Posts: 391 Member
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    Sitting in an epsom salt bath may help relieve some of that pain too.

    YESSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!! I'm going to. That will be the very last thing I do before I go to sleep tonight.
  • sofulnaturalee
    sofulnaturalee Posts: 391 Member
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    Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) can last for up to 72 hours. The best cure for DOMS is actually more exercise, so yes, in theory, suck it up and walk through it. BUT, if this is a new exercise, you may be injured, so it is probably worth doing something different, e.g. swimming or low-impact for at least 72 hours. If your legs stop hurting, you know it was just DOMS, if they don't you might be injured.

    I'm all about No Pain, No Gain, but have had my share of injuries, so please be careful!

    Thanks i will keep that in mind. :-)
  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
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    When starting out with exercise, many people will experience DOMS. When that happens, you got to give your body enough rest to get through that. After a while, many will no longer experience DOMS.
  • sofulnaturalee
    sofulnaturalee Posts: 391 Member
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    take some Advil, drink lots of water, increase your protein (have a protein snack after you do the stairs) and KEEP GOING! I get wicked DOMS on the 2nd day after my workout, I find a hot bath, and some Advil does the trick.

    I don't eat protein bars. Do you know of any good ones?
  • scottb81
    scottb81 Posts: 2,538 Member
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    You need to take a day off from the steps for recovery. Eventually you will get stronger and not need the day off anymore.
  • susannahsutton1
    susannahsutton1 Posts: 372
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    If I get bad DOMS, my fail safe cure is a cold bath. Much more effective than hot. You don't need to go overboard with ice, just cold water from the mains. The benefits of ice over cold are not really proven, but certainly cold immersion reduces the inflammation in the muscles you have overworked and so they hurt less. I advise some pumping music in the background and a warm jumper in your top half. You also sleep like the dead afterwards.
  • beckyboop712
    beckyboop712 Posts: 383 Member
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    take some Advil, drink lots of water, increase your protein (have a protein snack after you do the stairs) and KEEP GOING! I get wicked DOMS on the 2nd day after my workout, I find a hot bath, and some Advil does the trick.

    I hate to be one of those to contradict but Advil is counter productive to muscle growth. NSAIDs (like tylenol or advil) "inhibit Protein synthesis which in turn inhibits muscle growth"
    http://www.livestrong.com/article/370652-side-effects-of-tylenol-for-bodybuilding-and-muscles/

    While this article is for body-builders, it does apply to many of us too.

    If you are really sore, hot bath and stretching. And I also like to prop my feet up too. I'll either lay on the floor and put my feet on the couch and lay there for 5-10 minutes. Or I'll put them on the back of the couch while laying on it. It doesn't matter how anyone else does it, just as long your feet are above your heart. It gets the blood moving the other direction and while it may not feel better immediately, it will help with the DOMS.
  • TR0berts
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
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    I hate to be one of those to contradict but Advil is counter productive to muscle growth. NSAIDs (like tylenol or advil) "inhibit Protein synthesis which in turn inhibits muscle growth"
    http://www.livestrong.com/article/370652-side-effects-of-tylenol-for-bodybuilding-and-muscles/

    While this article is for body-builders, it does apply to many of us too.


    While true, the OP doesn't say that she's trying to muscle build. I figure - and probably others - that she's doing it more for the cardio benefits.
  • susannahsutton1
    susannahsutton1 Posts: 372
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    I am determined to get at least one convert to cold baths on this forum! They fix DOMS so darn quick!

    Agree re Advil. Wouldn't touch anything like that unless for an actual injury
  • NCchar130
    NCchar130 Posts: 955 Member
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    I am determined to get at least one convert to cold baths on this forum! They fix DOMS so darn quick!

    Agree re Advil. Wouldn't touch anything like that unless for an actual injury

    I'd never heard of it, though it makes sense since ice is so helpful. I'll try it next time I'm super sore - won't deny it sounds miserable though :flowerforyou:
  • daj150
    daj150 Posts: 815 Member
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    Please make sure it's a cold bath and not an ice bath. There are many health risks that can be associated with doing this. More direct cold application is better, not full body.

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