Is it Bad to Work Out With Sore Muscles?

Whether it's your first workout in a while or you're a long-time exerciser who's suddenly feeling the pain of a long workout, being stiff and sore from exercise is never fun. Not only does it make it difficult to move around, but it may also have you worried about what's going to happen during your next workout. You won't hurt yourself by doing another workout soon -- so long as it's within reason.

  1. Basics of Being Sore

    • When you're feeling really sore after a workout, you're experiencing what's more formally known as delayed-onset muscle soreness. When you work out your muscles experience tiny tears in the fibers, which causes you to feel pain. Those tears are the sites where new muscle tissue will grow as a result -- so while you're feeling the pain, feel confident that you're building new muscle. This type of soreness usually lasts for only three to five days.

    Weight Training Concerns

    • You can experience that soreness from lifting weights, doing aerobics or nearly any type of exercise, but if you're sore from strength training, you have a few things to remember. To give those muscle fibers time to repair those tears and build new tissue, give them at least one full day's rest in between lifting sessions, reminds MayoClinic.com. If you want to hit the weight room every day, alternate your schedule. For example, perform exercises for your upper body on one day, then your legs the next.

    Other Exercise

    • If you're sore from aerobic exercise, take it easy -- but you don't have to stop working out all together, especially if your muscles are not sore to the touch. Instead of attending another round of that butt-busting spin class, for example, take an "active rest" day. That will stimulate blood flow and may help remove some waste products -- which will help repair your muscles, as exercise science professor David Docherty, Ph.D. told "Men's Health." Go for a walk or cycle around your neighborhood, for example. If you decide to do another intense workout, you may find that the soreness goes away during the workout, but it may come back even more when you're done.

    Mitigating Pain

    • If you're in the midst of a serious bout of DOMS, time is really the best remedy. Within a few days, you could start to feel better. Getting a massage or using a foam roller on yourself may help with some of the pain. Anti-inflammatory medications may ease pain and reduce inflammation, but according to exercise science professor Dr. Len Kravitz, the negative side effects of those medications, such as gastrointestinal distress, make them less ideal. What does work, according to Kravitz: a proper warm-up. Before your next workout, walk or jog slowly for five to 10 minutes before you start.