First time working out in years...

Joleen_J2004
Joleen_J2004 Posts: 10 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
And oh how I am sore...I'm not going to give up, I've already committed to 4 days next week at the gym with friends (1 of the days will also be with a personal trainer, EEK), but OWWWWIE.

I did 20 min interval on the elliptical switching every 4 min between resistance 1 and resistance 2 and my thighs are killing me two days later still. What can I do to work through the pain, or make it go away? It's sore regardless of naproxen or rubbing the thigh muscles...

Also is there anything better that I should be doing for working back into things? I was 300.9 lbs 2 weeks ago, 297 last week...

Thanks for any tips!

Replies

  • Health_Gal
    Health_Gal Posts: 715 Member
    First of all, congratulations on getting back to the gym!

    I admire your drive, but since you are new to working out, the gym schedule you have taken on might be a bit too much. If your muscles stay sore all the time, your body won't have a chance to heal and repair itself for the next gym session, and that can be counterproductive.

    I would suggest doing shorter or less intense exercise sessions until your muscles have a chance to get used to it. Also, I would suggest taking a rest day before you work with your trainer so you won't be too sore and can get the most out of the money you're paying for their service.

    Good luck!
  • blisser99
    blisser99 Posts: 122 Member
    I was in the same boat 30ish days ago. You might want to start slow and work your way up to the high impact exercises. I jumped right into it and was sore for days. You have to build up your endurance so you don't get an injury. Take a rest day, and remember to do stuff you actually like. Awesome job getting back into it. Feel free to add me for support. Good luck in your journey. :-)
  • pcdoctor01
    pcdoctor01 Posts: 389 Member
    Congrats on working out again and the weight loss.
  • __RANDY__
    __RANDY__ Posts: 1,036 Member
    For the elliptical to give you soreness you must have been hauling a** good work !
  • chymerra
    chymerra Posts: 212
    muscle pain is normal esp when you first start. no pain, no gain!

    that said, always make sure you warm up before your workout... warm muscles prevent injury and the pain will go away. i worked out 3 times on friday (i know,crazy but it seemed like a good idea at the time) and i was so sore but i did yoga anyway and at first it was a bit hard but after my muscles warmed up, the pain went away.

    just be sure to take rest days. cardio is great and incorporate some strength training at least 2x/week. this will help build lean muscle mass which will further torch cals even at rest. always challenge yourself!! so if you find 20mins of cardio on a treadmill at say, a pace of 3.4 and incline of 2.5 (example), increase your time at that speed/incline or stay at that duration but increase your speed/incline. challenging yourself is the only way you will improve your fitness! good luck and way to go on your amazing decision to get healthy :)

    PM if you want more help re: workouts and nutrition.
  • Yanicka1
    Yanicka1 Posts: 4,564 Member
    It will get better...promise. If it is still a bit painful take Tylenol one hour before working out. Also hydration and just plain moving will help.
  • danimalkeys
    danimalkeys Posts: 982 Member
    Another chime in for "stick with it, it'll get better". You haven't moved for years, now you did, you'll be sore the 1st few times. It's normal.
  • Health_Gal
    Health_Gal Posts: 715 Member
    Some soreness after a workout is good, but if you're so sore that it's painful to get in and out of a chair, walk, or do other daily tasks means it's best to take the intensity down a bit until your muscles get used to exercising.
  • Joleen_J2004
    Joleen_J2004 Posts: 10 Member
    You guys are all awesome! Thanks for the support, I love it and the suggestions.

    Thankfully I did warm up first, and I don't know if I was hauling *kitten*, i felt like I was going to keel over and die though. I did 1 mile in 15:52 and 1.25 miles in 20...

    I'm going to maybe not do interval training the next time and just go for a longer slower pace?

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