Super sore - wait another day or do light work out

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Missjilly1025
Missjilly1025 Posts: 146 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hey all, I had a pretty tough TRX workout on Monday and my legs are burning! Like super sore. Just wondering if I would be crazy to do a spin class tomorrow am or if I should just work out the muscles with a good walk on the treadmill? Any input is appreciated.

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  • fitnessfreddie
    fitnessfreddie Posts: 74 Member
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    Stretch a lot tonight, if you have a roller, roll your muscles. See how you feel tomorrow. Light soreness is usually ok to workout with but, if your painfully sore absolutely not. You risk tearing the muscle and further injuries.
  • flechero
    flechero Posts: 260 Member
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    Best to stretch it out!

    I always stretched and then go for a long walk and it seems to really help a great deal. (then resume working out the following day)
  • Missjilly1025
    Missjilly1025 Posts: 146 Member
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    Thanks, gents. I'll give some good stretches tonight and just keep it to a walk tomorrow. Thank you for the input.
  • dondimitri
    dondimitri Posts: 245 Member
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    I find gentle cycling followed by mild (very mild) stretching and/or a roller helps me.

    I'm referring to indoor cycling where your effort can be more precisely measured. Take it easy; maybe 20 minutes and just barely starting to sweat at the end. You are going so easy you are almost bored... I'm not talking about taking a spin class here. :-)

    The walking option is good too. Either way I think I usually feel better with a very light workout than being totally sedentary the following day. On the other hand there have been times when all I've done is walk to the mailbox (if that) and then back to the couch!
  • Birddog6424
    Birddog6424 Posts: 29 Member
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    The post above this one has the best advice. It's called Active Recovery. And it's one of the only means of muscle recovery that actually works. Use light exercise for a brief period to help alleviate soreness.

    Anyone advocating stretching or massage to alleviate soreness is incorrect. Sorry folks, but multiple studies have proven that neither of those will alleviate muscle soreness any faster than doing nothing. In some cases, stretching was even proven to exacerbate the problem.
  • ash190489
    ash190489 Posts: 587 Member
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    Personally if I am sore after a particular workout the next day or two, I will just rest that area or do light activity, like you mentioned a walk or a slow cycle... You don't want to gain an injury which could knock you and your training out for an even longer period of time.

    I do lots of weight training, so I'll do legs one day and then give them two days of rest before working them again in relation to weights, but during those two days after I will do back &/or shoulders as well as a cardio class which I'd do more low impact, so the spin class but slowly and I find dance classes and a mild step class can stretch them out a bit. Definitely a walk on the beach since I'm lucky enough to have the beach across the road :) really just depends on how sore they are :-) good luck!
  • fitnessfreddie
    fitnessfreddie Posts: 74 Member
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    The post above this one has the best advice. It's called Active Recovery. And it's one of the only means of muscle recovery that actually works. Use light exercise for a brief period to help alleviate soreness.

    Anyone advocating stretching or massage to alleviate soreness is incorrect. Sorry folks, but multiple studies have proven that neither of those will alleviate muscle soreness any faster than doing nothing. In some cases, stretching was even proven to exacerbate the problem.

    So properly stretching sore muscles will hinder muscle healing?? I disagree and so do multiple studies.
  • Visique
    Visique Posts: 23
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    pick up some bcaa supplement at your local nutrition shop. Helps recover quick from soreness. Drink during workouts.
  • shadow36
    shadow36 Posts: 3 Member
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    I'm trying pycnogenol, this is my first day but I think its working. I ran a 10k and got extra sore even the stretching didn't work. Took two of pycnogenol and I swear I have no more muscle pain. I'm going to keep trying it for the full time it says to which is 1 month. Good luck!
  • JenniTheVeggie
    JenniTheVeggie Posts: 2,474 Member
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    I don't know what TRX is but I have always gone by if I can't give it my all I wait a day.
  • meeper123
    meeper123 Posts: 3,347 Member
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    try some yoga and a hot bath :D
  • mustgetmuscles1
    mustgetmuscles1 Posts: 3,346 Member
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    I agree with the active recovery. Something like cycle or elliptical. Get the heart rate up and the juices flowing. LOL I always imagine it is like pressure washing the lactic acid out of the muscles. :tongue: If the soreness goes away after a few minutes you could probably do some light resistance training. Any "pain" and you need to stop.

    As for the stretching i have no idea what the studies say but I never try to stretch without being warmed up first. I dont think you should try to stretch cold muscles.
  • Birddog6424
    Birddog6424 Posts: 29 Member
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    The post above this one has the best advice. It's called Active Recovery. And it's one of the only means of muscle recovery that actually works. Use light exercise for a brief period to help alleviate soreness.

    Anyone advocating stretching or massage to alleviate soreness is incorrect. Sorry folks, but multiple studies have proven that neither of those will alleviate muscle soreness any faster than doing nothing. In some cases, stretching was even proven to exacerbate the problem.

    So properly stretching sore muscles will hinder muscle healing?? I disagree and so do multiple studies.

    Yeh sure. Multiple studies from 1971.

    I suggest you hit the books my friend. The medical community stopped touting stretching as a means to alleviate soreness a long time ago. I remember reading about it in Runner's World back in the 90's. But there is never a shortage of people who are still touting what they learned from their High School gym teacher.

    Hell, this is the very first article I found with Google. I could find dozens more in no time if I thought it worth a larger investment of my time. But I think if you really want to become an expert on this sort of thing and enjoy a lifetime of being healthy and fit, you should do the research yourself.

    This is a compilation of five different studies on pre- and post-workout stretching.

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1250267/

    Cliff Notes? Stretching relieves muscle sorenes by less than 2% over a 72 hour period at best. Which is universally accepted as being of no value. Stretching also shows no significant probability in the reduction of injury. (5% probability of injury prevention)

    And in the case of weightlifting, static stretching before exercise can significantly increase the chance of joint injury. Loose, stretched out muscles don't support the joints under duress or impact.

    A little homework will verify all of that from multiple sources.
  • kdeaux1959
    kdeaux1959 Posts: 2,675 Member
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    If you are really sore, I would stretch it out, take a hot shower and do low impact movement... walking for example; rest is important for muscle development.

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