By Postmedia SEO

I love feeling sore after a good workout… as though it’s my body’s way of telling me “good work”. It’s a masochistic badge of honor when something simple like climbing the stairs, or sitting down hurts. Have you ever wondered though, if you’re feeling too sore?

It’s normal to feel sore after a workout; when you challenge the body or do something new, you will feel some tightness or pain.

Pain doesn’t always lead to gains though, it could be your body trying to tell you that you’re injured.

WHAT WORKOUT SORENESS FEELS LIKE

Shortly after a workout, you’ll feel a little tender and tired. Overnight your muscles will rest, which can often cause them to feel outright sore the next day. You might feel tightness in your hamstrings when you sit, or even some burning in your quads when you climb the stairs.

When the soreness lasts longer than normal that’s when you could be facing an injury. However, one of the problems with trying to spot an injury is that there is no set amount of days for healing. Everyone is different and it also depends on hydration levels. Muscle soreness post workout is called Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) and peaks at 48 hours, and sometimes takes another day or two after that for it to fade away.

HOW TO TREAT WORKOUT SORENESS

The most important thing to start with is hydrating. Water will always be your best bet. Gatorade/Powerade can be good for restoring electrolytes, but keep in mind the high sugar content. Chocolate milk is also great right after the workout, the combination of protein and a smaller amount of sugar makes it great for recovery.

You’ll also want to keep moving. I know it’s tempting to sit and wait for your muscles to get back to normal but walking and yoga are perfect, low-key exercises that you can and should do while waiting for the workout soreness to fade.

A foam roller is great to have at home. It feels good after a workout but is great before your workout as well because it helps to prevent injury. This is a great guide for using a foam roller on all your major muscle groups including hamstrings, glutes, IT band, hip flexors, pecs, and more.

HOW TO KNOW WHEN IT’S AN INJURY

Sometimes it’s easy to tell, there’s a split second during your workout when you feel (and sometimes hear) something pop. The problem is that mid-workout your body is feeling pumped up and you’re too preoccupied with the task at hand to notice. That’s why it’s important to pay attention to your body after your workout as well.

If the pain is sharp and feels more like stabbing as opposed to tightness then it could be an injury. If the pain isn’t symmetrical, then it could be an injury. For example, your left quad is sore, but your right quad emits a stabbing pain when you try to sit.

Another sign that can tell if you’re injured is the amount of time that has passed. As we mentioned, everyone’s recovery length is different, but when muscle soreness doesn’t ease up after 4-5 days, then it might be a good idea to check in with your doctor.

YOU CAN PROBABLY STILL WORKOUT

Funny enough, one of the reasons why people don’t want to see a doctor if they’re injured is because they’re worried the doctor will tell them to stop working out. For some people who love training, that’s just not realistic.

It’s unlikely, however, that the doctor will tell you to stop exercising altogether. An injury usually means that you just need to change your exercise until you recover. Your doctor or physiotherapist will be able to help recommend exercises to do in the meantime and even exercises that will help you recover faster.