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Well, hey there. Welcome back. Today we're going to be talking about all things soreness and why we get sore after workouts and what to do about it. This topic was born out of a simple conversation with a girlfriend who had a couple questions about being sore and if it was needed and how she could improve any soreness. And I thought, man, I should do an entire podcast episode about that.
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So that's what our topic is today. It's going to be a little short and sweet, but you're going to get some solid, simple info that you can add in right away this week as you're working out. If you stumble upon having sore muscles and need to know what to do about it. And if you find this episode helpful, don't forget to let me know and leave a review. Tell me your thoughts.
00:00:48
Tell me what you want to learn about, what you want to hear about or an episode that touched you. I love to hear from you. I do. Also in the show, notes have a link where you can submit topics that you want to hear on the podcast or guests, because I do want this to be a two way communication where I'm covering topics that are going to make your life more simplified and make health and fitness more simple for you. I also do have an Instagram handle, which is deliciously, fit and healthy.
00:01:17
But I started a podcast Instagram, and that is Make It Simple podcast, and there every week we try to put up a clip from the episode or I try to recap the information so you have an easy way to go back and save it and look at it later. And as you know, summer is upon us, which means we're spending a lot more time outside and we're squinting and we're struggling to see things to make sure our kids are alive in the pool and we're able to do our workouts well on our trips. For me, it makes it a lot easier when I have gooder sunglasses. I actually stumbled upon these sunglasses probably two years ago. I was at a friend's pool and she was wearing these amazing sunglasses, and I was like, I love your sunglasses.
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Where'd you get them? And she was like, oh, they're gooder, goodr. And she was explaining, I love them because I'm a CrossFitter and I can jump, I can run, I can do all the things, and they don't slip, they don't slide, they're polarized, and they're not expensive. They are only $25 per pair. I instantly ordered a couple, and I have never looked back for having a couple of sunglasses in my console because, you know, I lose them and I don't feel bad when I lose them, yet they're still good quality.
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If you want to support the show and get a great pair of sunglasses at the same time, gooder is giving make it simple listeners. Free shipping on their first order. The link for that is going to be in the show notes. Again, that will be gooder.com, simple. And that's going to give you free shipping on your first order.
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Gooder. Go d r.com simple. I love them and I know you're going to love them too. All right, let's get into it and talk about all things soreness and what to do about it.
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So first, let's break down what sore muscles are and why it happens. When you're sore, it is a result of small unharmful. So just like mild, basically tearing or like stress to the muscle fibers. This is simply how the body basically is broken down because we're working it. So there is slight damage to those muscle fibers.
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But then as it heals from that, it makes the muscles stronger. But in that healing process of improving and restructuring those damaged muscle fibers, your muscles might feel sore. And that is totally normal. That is all part of the process of adding muscle. And this process is actually known as delayed onset muscle soreness.
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DOMS is the abbreviation for it, what they often call it, and it's a totally normal part of fitness. Now, something that I also want to point out, though, is the difference between soreness and pain because I often think sometimes people confuse them. And especially if someone is a little bit new to exercise, it can even be confused more because we aren't used to seeing the symptoms of both of them and seeing the difference. When you exercise, you put strain on your body, on your cardiovascular system, your heart, lungs, your bones, your muscles. All of that brings strength and brings endurance.
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This is totally great. As I said, it's good stress on the body. So it's normal to have that soreness and fatigue. Now, normal soreness and fatigue normally only last 24 to 72 hours. So that is the number one sign.
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If you did a workout on Monday, you could easily be sore tuesday, Wednesday, around Thursday, it should be going away. You may only be sore one day, but typically it's that 24 to 72 hours. Window soreness is also going to depend on the amount of time you worked out, so how long, the intensity, the weights you used, and if the exercise was new to you. So I remember I had ran most of my life when I was in high school. I was an athlete when I went to college, I actually played in college as well.
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And I remember when I went to my very first kickboxing class, that's not even a strength training class, but I went to a kickboxing class and there was so much movement in like a middle squat, not a full squat and not fully standing, but kind of just a wide stance. And there was so much upper body movement that I remember my inner thighs being sore and my back being sore from a kickboxing class because it was different and it worked my muscles in a different way. That's totally normal. It's like if you do something else and all of a sudden you try swimming. Those are easy variations of cardio that you might feel soreness and it often happens.
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And it happens, I would even say more often when we're doing strength training and we're doing different things. So that is all very normal for normal soreness. When it comes to pain, though, pain is normally a sharp sensation and it can cause aching for a little bit longer. Pain is also normally in a joint or a ligament. So if your whole quad is kind of just feeling tight and stiff, that's probably soreness.
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But if you're feeling like a sharp pain or an ache in one tiny part, that might actually be a ligament or a hip flexor or something else that is causing you some pain. Pain also can last much longer. If it's been 24 to 72 hours and you're still feeling that aching or that pain in that muscle, it might be an injury and it is not soreness. So you need to go a different route to see what's going on. Maybe have more rest, see a physical therapist or just kind of back off for a little bit longer.
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As I said, that more rest to see if it goes away. So that is another key piece to soreness and pain. I don't want you to be scared of soreness, but I do want you to recognize it and know it's normal. Now, the second piece to this is often people think, oh well, crap, I'm not sore after every workout. So was it not a good workout?
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No, that is actually very incorrect. As we grow in our fitness journey. And our training history is combined with good hydration nutrition, and we are lifting more weights and we're having more of a variety and we're challenging the muscle in different ways. It's going to stimulate the muscles more and we can have a really great workout, but it doesn't guarantee that we will be sore because those muscles are used to being worked. So not every workout you will be sore.
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And that doesn't mean it's a bad workout. I don't want you to connect the two of those. Just because you're sore doesn't mean the workout didn't kick your butt. It's very normal for it not. Now, on the flip side, if you are never sore, you might need to add some variety.
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For example, I will sometimes do I'll just change up my leg routine. And it happened just this week. I did something a little different. On Saturday, I changed my reps. If you actually listened to two episodes back where I talk about changing up things in your workout routine to break a plateau, I talk about changing your reps and your rest time and some of those things.
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And on Saturday last week, I was like, you know what, I'm going to do a different rep count. I'm going to do some pauses and I'm going to change my rest time. Just a little change up. Well, I was kind of sore on Monday and Tuesday and that was normal. Now, if I had done still something similar, but I had challenged my body and I had worked the muscle, I can still grow muscle without being overly sore and that's normal.
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So don't link those in your mind, but do be aware if you are never ever sore, you might need some more variety. So there's kind of that fine line in the middle of those. Okay, so now that you know what soreness is, the difference between pain and soreness, and that you don't have to be sore every single time to prove you got a good workout, let's talk about what to do when you are sore because that is what can be stressful or discouraging for people. Often when I get new clients, they are not used to doing a style of workouts I use. I often use an interval style where we're doing a cardio move and then a strength move and we're supersetting them and then I'm giving them a rest.
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So it kind of is a shorter workout, but it's pretty intense. And then sometimes we'll do heavier lifts and other things. So I'm building a strength program for the app that is going to be more strength based. But there's a variety and when we do a variety and we change things up, sometimes we're sore, especially if it's something new, which is a good thing, but it can be discouraging for our daily activities when we're like, I don't feel great because I'm so sore. So what do I do?
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How do I recover from this? My first tip I'm going to give you, and this of all the tips, is the most tried and true. I'm going to tell you a lot of things that have been said to, but they're not guaranteed to improve muscle soreness. But there is some research on it and some thoughts on it. But this first one is 100% truly going to help you with muscle soreness.
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So the first thing is you need to change the muscles you're working and your structure. If you are sore, you need to give that muscle time to rest. So you can either take two or three days off. But I think a much better option is to space out your workouts according to muscle groups to give them time to rest when it comes to lifting. This is why it's also really important to follow a program because if you're just skipping around to random classes at the gym, you're not giving the muscles adequate rest to a prevent them from getting sore and B, help them actually build.
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Because for example, if you're always going and doing a back workout or something that's really trending right now, like ABS or glutes or whatever, and in your Monday fitness class, they did some glute work. And then in your Tuesday one, they did glute work, and then in your Wednesday one, you're going to a different class and they did glute work. You're not giving your muscles adequate time to rebuild in the workout. As I said, you're breaking down the muscle fibers, but then you're not giving them time to rebuild. If you're not giving your muscles time to rebuild, then they can't get stronger.
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If they can't get stronger, they're not going to take shape. If you're looking for some more shape or definition, or you're not going to be able to strengthen them to build a stronger metabolism. Because we know that muscle makes our metabolism stronger. So you have to give those muscles rest along with that. When you're sore, you even need to give them rest even more because it is literally broken down.
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And then you're trying to break it down while it's already broken down. Hence why they're still sore, they're still rebuilding. That's a sign they're not ready to work again. So you need to switch up your muscle groups. That's why this is important, as I mentioned, for that program to follow to make sure you're getting that variety.
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So for example, if you are sore in your back and you lifted it Monday and you did back and biceps, the next day might be a great day to do a lower body workout. You're going to leave your back and biceps alone. They're super sore. Do something that's only legs. This is also why supersetting can be very effective.
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Because you can work two muscle groups. You can give them oftentimes they're opposing or just different parts of the body. You let one muscle group rest while you lift the other group, and then you go back and forth, and then that muscle group can rest for a couple of days before you work it again. Each muscle group should rest for anywhere from 48 to 72 hours. 48 is the minimum, and that's okay.
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But if you're sore, you need to give it longer rest and go on to a different muscle group. So the biggest tip is honestly to make sure you're changing up your muscle groups and you're giving them rest, especially if they're sore, obviously because they're broken down, but especially if they're sore to continue to rebuild, because the soreness is a sign that they're trying to rebuild. Let them rest and go on to different muscles and then come back and work them when their soreness has worn off, because it really should last up to around 72 hours. My next tip is going to be to move your body even though it's sore. And I'm sure you're thinking, wait, you just said to rest it or to give it a break and go to a different muscle group.
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Yes, but that doesn't mean that you need to be couch ridden because your legs are sore. You might not be lifting that muscle group but it is still effective to move it. So, for example, walking is fantastic. When your legs are sore, if you just sit on the couch, they become stiffer and actually feel less mobile. So while you're giving them a break, resistance wise, with strength training, you should still move around.
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That is going to feel better. And research has shown when people don't move when they're sore, it actually makes it feel worse. So don't forget to simply move your body. Soreness often improves with very easy stretching or light movement. But if you totally rest, it can honestly make you feel stiffer.
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So be aware of that move, walk, go on a bike ride, just swing your arms, feel nice and good if it's an upper body movement, just doing some mobility, things like that, light movement, yoga, those things can be very gentle and still restorative while you're trying to rebuild those muscles. My next tip is you can try foam rolling. Foam rolling is self myofascial release, which can help ease sore and achy muscles. In episode 138 on Breathing and Self Massage with Jill Miller, she explains a ton about this and explains how it can be helpful. Now, I've kind of looked up this study and a couple of the other ones I'm going to talk about and there is some mixed reviews of does it really help, does it help?
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And I watched this entire reel from this doctor who was explaining that there is mixed reviews, but his point was if you do it and it makes you feel better, then keep doing it. And so I'm kind of on that boat. The way that myofascial release works is it applies pressure to areas that are tight or sore to help relax them. So it's kind of like a massage but you're doing it yourself, hence why it can be called self massage and it can be done with a foam roller, it can be done with little balls, there's lots of little tools and you basically apply pressure and massage and go back and forth on the area. And that can help one warm you up for a workout because it warms up that muscle and it can also help with sore muscles.
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Again, there is kind of mixed reviews on this, but I have found it beneficial, so I'm going to continue to promote it. I also really like a theragun, which is very similar to a foam roller, but it's actually kind of a machine you can buy where there's like a kind of a ball at the end and it helps relax the body by releasing tension and fluid deep in the muscles to increase tissue metabolism. So I have found it beneficial. There's some research saying that it can help increase blood flow and lymphatic circulation, which can help with more oxygen and some other things, but it can help just kind of reach those muscles and help them relax. But again, there is mixed research.
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There so you're going to kind of have to play with that tool whether a foam roller or a theragun and see if you like it because nothing is said and done and that is kind of the truth about fitness, I think. We love to be like yes, this works 100% of the time and it's just not always that way. But having a couple of ideas to try for you is what you want and is going to be more beneficial. The next thing that you can try is an Epsom salt bath. And I have actually heard this for years about the Epsom salt bath, and I've done it myself.
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My husband's done it. And as I went to record this podcast, I went to look for a research paper on it because I always like to back up what I say with research papers and make sure I'm on the right track. And I actually couldn't find one. I found a ton that said that it is believed to help, I found a ton that said there was no direct evidence or it hasn't been proven but it has said to help. So I still think it falls in the category of you should try it and see what your experience is with it.
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The purpose of the Epsom salt bath is it breaks down into magnesium and sulfate. So the theory of it is when you soak in the Epsom salt bath these minerals are released and absorbed into your body through your skin and that can help relax muscles, reduce swelling pain and soothe sore muscles. So whether there is a ton of research on it, again it's a no brainer. Epsom salts are a couple of dollars at the store and getting in a bath and soaking is relaxing so why not try it? And there definitely is proof that soaking in warm water can help relax muscles and loosen stiff joints so it is definitely worth trying.
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So after a foam roller, theragun Epsom salts you might also want to try CBD oil. CBD comes from the cannabis plant but it doesn't have the THC in it which is what gives you the high. So there's plenty of companies coming out with CBD oil. I do highly suggest you look into making sure you're getting a good company because the quality can vary. CBD has antiinflammatory properties that might help relieve soreness so it's known to help with sleep.
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I've mentioned that I take CBD sleep gummies, I love them. It's known to help with stress, it's known to help with pain relief and I found a study that even showed that it was linked to a decrease in inflammation when it was used for people who had multiple sclerosis. So it's again one of those items that it's worth trying and see if it works for you. I have a rapid relief cream from mysol CBD, I like it, it has 1500 milligrams of CBD in it. I've often rubbed it on my back when it's sore on sore muscles.
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And I personally like it because I feel like if it does help with inflammation then it can be useful on muscles if it is rubbed on it. And some people might do it orally, but it depends on you. There's still a ton of research needed in this, so I do think it is worth you looking into more research if you're curious about it. But it does fall again into that category of the last three where see if it works for you, see your thoughts and if you're like that's not a fit for me then try one of the other ones because I do think it is not black and white and we can see that there's a lot of gray area and what can help. So figure out what works for you.
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I will link the CBD that I have in the show notes though, just in case you're curious about it. My last tip is you need to listen to your body just because your workout routine says that the next day is, I don't know, back day. If your back is sore and you lifted back even two days ago, it might be just a day where you need to say, I'm not going to do this workout and I'm just going to do something different. There's going to be no harm, no foul and you're going to feel stronger when you do that back workout and do it more efficiently. I only move my workouts around when I'm feeling fatigued and I'm thinking I'm overdoing it and I can tell this workout is going to be tough and I think I need a slower paced, low impact or lighter workout.
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If I'm sore or obviously if I'm sometimes overwhelmed, I give myself that opportunity to say, you know what, I'm really overwhelmed today, I'm going to move my workouts around. So please know that even in any program, no matter whose it is, you do have that freedom to listen to your body and not only do you have it, you should 1 billion% use it all the time. Use it. So even though that soreness may go away between 24 and 72 hours, if it's been 48 hours since you lifted that muscle, and that's normally the minimum, but you're still tight or sore in that muscle, skip it, go to something else, no big deal. It's just going to allow you to come back more powerful when you do that movement, which is going to allow you to lift more weights, to keep good form, to pay attention to your core, because you're not like, oh, I'm so sore.
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To pay attention to what you're doing, to feel what's working. To make sure you're feeling the right muscles work and not feeling pain or tightness, but actually feeling the muscle activate, which is going to make the workout more effective. I truly wish there was a magic pill to muscle soreness, but don't we all wish there was a magic pill to all kinds of things? So I think if you look at this list, you kind of pay attention. You give those muscles breaks, you make sure they're spread out properly.
00:21:26
You try foam rolling. You try an Epsom salts bath. You try moving, walking, whatever it is, to kind of keep that muscle moving. You try CBD, and you even try rest sometimes. Just simply rest.
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I know I talked about breaking up the muscles, but sometimes it's okay to just simply take the day off and listen to your body. That is normal as well. Soreness is definitely going to be a part of your fitness journey. You won't feel it every day. That doesn't mean you got a bad workout in.
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It could still be very efficient. But it does mean you're going to have it sometimes. And that's good. That means you're challenging your body. It means you're working hard, and it means you're in the right spot.
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All right, that's it for today. As always, you are doing so much better than you think you are. And we'll chat next week.