Wendy Roche – Personal Fitness Trainer – Asheville, NC

Okay, so I’m a little funny about some things just as everyone is I’m sure.  I happen to enjoy muscle soreness that comes from working out.  That’s not to say I don’t like the freedom of walking on my own which is sometimes restricted a bit when the soreness is really bad.  I do like to scratch my back when it itches although I really like muscle soreness too and maybe that’s because I know what the soreness brings. 

Here’s the muscle soreness theory in a nutshell.  During a workout muscle fibers get micro tears in them.  This breakdown in the muscle is what’s necessary for muscle growth and strength development.  But remember, they’re tears so yes they’ll hurt.  Over the next 24 to 48 after a workout the muscles rebuild themselves and in that process the muscle is repaired bigger and stronger than it was before.   

Let me clarify something, muscle soreness is not necessary in order to obtain stronger leaner muscles.  Just because you can’t feel the micro tears that does not mean they are not there or that they didn’t occur during your workout.  When a muscle is stressed in a new way whether is be with a new exercise entirely or with more or less weight than before the muscles have to respond to that and micro tears happen then.  Once the muscle is accustom to the stress then it doesn’t have to respond differently any more and no more tears are made.  But, if you’re looking to improve your body, build strength, create muscle tone, or lose weight, then you need to be adding new stresses to the muscles so they can continue to adapt and change and grow.  The more muscle you have the more calories you’ll burn so muscle growth is extremely important and yes muscle soreness is usually close behind.

Although muscle soreness does not signify a successful workout it is very natural and just a part of fitness training.  There are some things you can do that may help with muscle soreness although nothing will take it away or prevent it completely.  Some tips on possibly alleviating muscle soreness are to get lots of sleep, drink lots of water, stretch, and maybe take a hot bath.  If the muscle is really really sore then you won’t want to work it out until and tenderness has subsided.  If it’s a little sore then go ahead and work, it will serve it well to get blood moving through the area and you’ll find that moving the muscle can help loosen is up and take some of the soreness away.

So, will you enjoy and embrace muscle soreness as much as I do, I hope so.  It’s simply letting you know that all your hard work in the gym is not going to waste.  Be happy to know that those muscles are getting stronger and leaner which leads to weight loss and a whole new you.  Live Life Better!