The day after your first proper session, sitting down on the loo may become a two-handed job with a short prayer in the middle. This is normal. Here's why.
The lie
"I'm this sore, I must have done something terrible."
The short version
- DOMS stands for delayed onset muscle soreness: achy muscles a day or two after exercise you're not used to.
- It usually peaks 24 to 72 hours later and fades within a few days.
- It isn't an injury. Sharp pain, swelling or pain in a joint is different.
Today's rep: After your next session, write down which muscles ache and when. Jump to it
You haven't broken anything
Day two hurts. That voice saying you've torn something is a drama queen.
Day two. You get out of bed like a deckchair being unfolded by someone who's never seen a deckchair. Going downstairs is a negotiation. You sit down and stand up with the little noises of a man three times your age. Somewhere in the back of your head, a voice says: that's it, I've done something terrible, I've torn something, I'll need an operation, I'll never walk again, I'll have to sell the car. That voice is a liar, and it's also a bit of a drama queen.
What it is
Delayed onset muscle soreness peaks between one and three days, then fades.
DOMS stands for delayed onset muscle soreness. Not to be confused with Dom, from chapter 1, which stands for Do On Monday and is a different condition entirely. You can't have both at once. DOMS only turns up after you've beaten Dom.
DOMS is the stiff, tender, achy feeling in your muscles a day or two after exercise you're not used to. It's worst after movements where a muscle lengthens while it's working, like lowering into a sit-to-stand or walking downhill.1 It usually builds over the first day, peaks somewhere between 24 and 72 hours, and fades over the next few days.1
It doesn't mean you did something wrong. It doesn't mean it was a brilliant workout either, whatever the man in the vest says. It mostly means "that was new".
Why it gets better
Do the same session a week later and it hurts far less.
Here's the good news. Do the same session again a week or two later and you'll usually be far less sore. Scientists call this the repeated bout effect,2 which sounds like a boxing term and isn't. Your body learns fast.
That's why the first fortnight is the worst, and why easing in pays you back with interest.
Next: You can't fully prevent it. You can keep it mild.Back to the contents
You can't fully prevent it. You can keep it mild.
- Start easy. Week one is easy on purpose. That's not me being soft. That's me being sneaky.
- Add a little at a time, not a lot all at once.
- Keep moving. A gentle walk the next day often helps it feel better for a while.1 Lying very still and moaning feels like it should help. It doesn't.
- Sleep, eat, drink. Boring. Works.
Most remedies, from massage to fancy creams to supplements with a lightning bolt on the tub, have small or patchy effects at best.1 Time does most of the work, and time is free.
When it's not DOMS
- Sharp or stabbing pain, during or after exercise.
- Pain in a joint rather than in the muscle.
- Swelling or bruising.
- Pain that's still getting worse after three days, or hasn't eased after a week.
If any of these apply, rest and see your GP or a physiotherapist. If you're worried, call NHS 111. If you get chest pain, call 999.
Your rep for this chapter
After your next session, write down which muscles ache and when. Next time, notice how much less they ache. That's your body learning. It's quicker than you are.
The lie: "I'm this sore, I must have done something terrible."
The short version
- DOMS stands for delayed onset muscle soreness: achy muscles a day or two after exercise you're not used to.
- It usually peaks 24 to 72 hours later and fades within a few days.
- It isn't an injury. Sharp pain, swelling or pain in a joint is different.
Your rep
After your next session, write down which muscles ache and when. Next time, notice how much less they ache. That's your body learning. It's quicker than you are.
Your browser forgets. Your photos don't. Save it, and the rep turns up in your camera roll at 7am when you're looking for something else.
Sources
1. Cheung K, Hume P, Maxwell L. Delayed onset muscle soreness: treatment strategies and performance factors. Sports Medicine. 2003;33(2):145-164.
2. McHugh MP. Recent advances in the understanding of the repeated bout effect: the protective effect against muscle damage from a single bout of eccentric exercise. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports. 2003;13(2):88-97.