Sore And Stiff After Exercise? 12 Tips To Avoid Pain

September 18, 2007

Avoid Pain The soreness after a workout can really be a downer.You feel your goal to achieve the perfect body is a waste because of the pain you feel the following day. More than half the people who start an exercise program quit within six months. Some tend to overdo it early on, getting injured or not seeing quick results, give up. Here are some tips to avoid the sore and stiffness after any workout.

1) People leading a sedentary lifestyle (desk job) tend to throw themselves into a grueling workout. This not only makes them overly fatigued but also sore and stiff. They also increase the risk of sudden heart attack. The key is to get in shape gradually.

2) Always begin and end each exercise session with a warm-up and a cool down. This helps to prevent injury and soreness. A warm-up routine consists of five or so minutes of low-level aerobic exercises, followed by mild stretches during which your heart rate slowly increases and your muscles slowly gets warm as the blood flow increases. It is important to remember that stretching should not be done when the muscles are cold.

If you are working out alone then start with a short walk or jog in place. To cool down, walk slowly until your heart rate is below 100 beats per minute (16-17 using a 10 second count). This is especially important for older women. Skipping your cool down can sharply reduce your blood pressure possibly causing you to faint and causing muscle cramping. Stretching is appropriate for cool down as well.

3) About 20 percent of weight training injuries involve lower back. Proper training before working out on an equipment is imperative. So seek the advice of a trainer when you join a gym.

4) If exercising gives you a chest pain, irregular heartbeats, undue fatigue, nausea, unexpected breathlessness or light headedness, then stop immediately and consult a healthcare professional.

5) Don’t exercise when you are fatigued or when you have a short-term illness like flu or recovering from some other ailments.

6) Wear proper shoes. They should support the ankle and provide cushioning. Socks are a necessity as well. Similarly, wear comfortable clothing that won’t bunch up or irritate your skin.

7) High-impact exercises where your feet are pounding in activities like running and some aerobics routine can cause a variety of injuries from soreness in the shins to ringing in the ears. The first line of defense is a good pair of quality shoes. Second vary your training and alternate easy and harder workouts. Be careful to warm up, cool down and stretch.

8) Cross training regularly is beneficial. Switching from one activity to another helps to prevent boredom and different activities target slightly different muscle groups.

9) When it is very hot outside either exercise in the early morning or indoors. Overheating or hyperthermia can be a serious problem in hot weather. If you are experiencing light headedness, hyperventilation, fatigue, a failure to sweat or loss of concentration, then stop immediately and rest in a cool place and drink a lot of fluids.

10) Do not exercise on a full stomach. But drink a lot of water before, during and after your workout. Read the benefits of drinking water and how to make it a habit.

11) While doing strength training exercises, breathe slowly and rhythmically. Also breathe when stretching. Hold the stretch for 10 to 60 seconds and exhale while moving into the stretch.

12) Expecting immediate results will only discourage you. It takes about 12 weeks to see measurable changes.