Muscle Injuries: 8 Myths of Muscle Soreness
Do you have questions about how sore you should be after working out? Read here to learn about muscle injuries and normal workout symptoms!
Can you believe that half of Americans wish that they could exercise more?
While a lack of time is one of the top reasons why people avoid exercising, there are plenty of others who donât like sweating or feeling sore after a good workout. As it turns out, thereâs a lot that we donât understand about muscle soreness and exercise. This can prevent us from taking care of ourselves the best way.
Would you like to learn more about muscles injuries and soreness so you can look and feel your best at all times? Read on to break down 8 of the most common muscle myths that you might believe.
- You Need to Experience Soreness to Have a Good Workout
When it comes to working out, some people swear that you need to experience DOMS to know that you pushed yourself hard enough. What is DOMS exactly? It stands for delayed onset muscle soreness that we experience one or two days after we work out.
The truth is that you can ignore the phrase âno pain, no gainâ without feeling guilty. As long as you feel like your heart rate is elevated for at least 15 minutes and your muscles are engaged, then you can have peace of mind that you gave your body a nice workout.
- Everyoneâs Bodies Respond to Hard Exercise the Same Way
On the other side of the spectrum, some people feel ashamed of themselves when they experience soreness after working out. Why can some people do even harder workouts without suffering from debilitating pain the next day? Muscle soreness is much more about your genetics rather than you being weak or too sensitive.
If youâve ever been curious about how your genes affect your athletic performance, youâll be delighted to know that you can take a biomarkers test from BioStarks. Not only will you learn how to eat better and achieve your fitness goals, but you can also figure out how to recover faster as well.
- Stretching Will Protect You From Soreness
Stretching before and after a workout can help you feel limber, but you could still end up experiencing soreness after you finish exercising. The reason why is that certain types of movements will damage your muscle fibers regardless of whether or not youâve stretched. Even though thereâs not enough evidence to say that stretching is the key to reducing your chances of getting sore, you should still do it to prevent injury.
To get the most out of your workouts, you should do dynamic stretches before you exercise and static stretches after you exercise. Dynamic stretches get you pumped up for more intense movements, while static stretches help slow down your heart rate and allow you to relax.
- You Need to Lift Heavy to Have an Intense Workout
If youâd like to build muscle mass, then you may feel like lifting heavy and getting as sore as possible is the only way you can accomplish your goals. Since we now know that soreness isnât the key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle and image, you donât have to suffer through horrible workouts or pay for expensive gym memberships ever again.
You can get impressive results by doing bodyweight exercises at home, going on a scenic hike, or even cycling with some inclines. Whether youâre sore or not, you should feel proud of yourself for staying active and doing activities that you enjoy.
- There Are No Good Remedies for a Sore Workout
Some people think that they have to suffer through their soreness until their bodies repair themselves. While we still arenât sure what can definitively reduce our risk of getting sore, the good news is that there are lots of home remedies you can use to ease your pain and speed up the healing process.
Foam rolling is a popular remedy because it loosens up stiff muscles to restore flexibility. Hot or cold showers can fight inflammation and help you feel much better. You should also drink plenty of water and fill up on nutritious foods that give your body everything it needs to heal.
- Lactic Acid Build Up Is What Causes Sore Muscles
Most of us have heard of lactic acid before, but others arenât sure what it is exactly. Lactic acid is released in our muscles when we do repetitive, strenuous exercise. It causes our bodies to slow down and feel exhausted, which is why so many people believe it triggers soreness.
While you may need to take breaks to get rid of lactic acid, the good news is that our bodies are efficient at getting rid of lactic acid within a few moments of rest. More research is needed to get the full picture, but sore muscles are most likely caused by cellular damage in the muscles that require time to heal.
- Fit People Experience Muscle Soreness Less
Itâs true that our bodies adapt to exercise, which can cause us to experience soreness less. However, doing something as simple as extending your workout a bit, adding a little more weight, or incorporating a few new movements into your routine could trigger soreness.
Since we all have different thresholds based on our genes, you can be at peace knowing that nothing is wrong with you if you experience soreness on a regular basis.
- You Shouldnât Work Out With Sore Muscles
As long as you have enough energy and you stay in tune with your body, you can feel safe exercising with sore muscles. The key is to give yourself at least one rest day per week so you can feel rejuvenated.
If you ever feel like something is wrong while youâre working out, you should stop right away. Taking one rest day to recover is a lot better than taking weeks off to heal from an injury.
These Are Some of The Most Common Myths About Muscles Injuries and Soreness
As you can see, there are a lot of myths about muscles injuries and soreness. After reading this guide, you can understand your body better.
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