Now, in the interest of fair balance, I'd like to mention one of the unwanted side effects of starting an exercise program -- muscle soreness. You have probably heard the expression, "No pain, no gain". Well, I don't think you need to experience pain to get stronger but some discomfort may occur when you start a new exercise program.
There are two types of muscle soreness. Acute soreness is the name given to pain that develops during exercise. Acute pain is not OK. You should not have pain while exercising. You might have some discomfort before you start, but it should not become worse during exercise. If you develop pain during exercise or if your discomfort becomes worse, you should stop what you are doing. Make sure that you are not doing something incorrectly or overdoing it.
A more common, but less worrisome type of muscle pain is DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness). DOMS is muscle pain that starts 1 or 2 days after exercise. DOMS usually goes away a day or two later. DOMS is common when people start a new exercise program or when they increase the intensity of their exercise. In addition, certain activities like strength training, walking downhill, jogging, and jumping are more apt to cause DOMS.
Delayed onset muscle soreness varies greatly from one person to another; some people become sore most of the time, others rarely have problems. I remember being so sore that I had to crawl upstairs to bed after the first few days of sports camp in high school, and that was when I was young and fit. Later, when I ran the gym and exercised every day, I still had some muscle pain almost every day. But my muscle pain went away once I warmed up and started exercising again.
If your soreness is mild, it will probably improve on its own in a day or two. Some people find that cold packs relieve the discomfort; others prefer heat, like a warm shower or bath. Some people find that non-prescription pain medications like acetaminophen, ibuprofen or naproxen sodium help. I have found some herbal/nutritional products that seem to help me better than anything else.
If you experience severe or unusual pain, you should consult your physician.
No one knows the exact cause of DOMS. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) suggests that DOMS is "a side effect of the repair process that develops in response to microscopic muscle damage". It is interesting that this same repair process helps the muscle grow stronger over time. You can read more about DOMS here on the ACSM website.
So, the takeaway message is that if you have pain while you are doing an exercise, you should stop and reevaluate what you are doing. But delayed muscle soreness staring a day or two after exercise is common, and unless the pain is very severe or keeps you from doing your daily activities, DOMS is usually not a reason to stop exercising.
There are two types of muscle soreness. Acute soreness is the name given to pain that develops during exercise. Acute pain is not OK. You should not have pain while exercising. You might have some discomfort before you start, but it should not become worse during exercise. If you develop pain during exercise or if your discomfort becomes worse, you should stop what you are doing. Make sure that you are not doing something incorrectly or overdoing it.
A more common, but less worrisome type of muscle pain is DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness). DOMS is muscle pain that starts 1 or 2 days after exercise. DOMS usually goes away a day or two later. DOMS is common when people start a new exercise program or when they increase the intensity of their exercise. In addition, certain activities like strength training, walking downhill, jogging, and jumping are more apt to cause DOMS.
Delayed onset muscle soreness varies greatly from one person to another; some people become sore most of the time, others rarely have problems. I remember being so sore that I had to crawl upstairs to bed after the first few days of sports camp in high school, and that was when I was young and fit. Later, when I ran the gym and exercised every day, I still had some muscle pain almost every day. But my muscle pain went away once I warmed up and started exercising again.
If your soreness is mild, it will probably improve on its own in a day or two. Some people find that cold packs relieve the discomfort; others prefer heat, like a warm shower or bath. Some people find that non-prescription pain medications like acetaminophen, ibuprofen or naproxen sodium help. I have found some herbal/nutritional products that seem to help me better than anything else.
If you experience severe or unusual pain, you should consult your physician.
No one knows the exact cause of DOMS. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) suggests that DOMS is "a side effect of the repair process that develops in response to microscopic muscle damage". It is interesting that this same repair process helps the muscle grow stronger over time. You can read more about DOMS here on the ACSM website.
So, the takeaway message is that if you have pain while you are doing an exercise, you should stop and reevaluate what you are doing. But delayed muscle soreness staring a day or two after exercise is common, and unless the pain is very severe or keeps you from doing your daily activities, DOMS is usually not a reason to stop exercising.