Dealing with DOMS

DOMS, or delayed onset of muscle soreness. We have all had to deal with this at some point, some of us  more than others. DOMS is the after effect of training a muscle. It is most prominent after doing some kind of intensive training, like weight lifting or sprinting.

Your experience of DOMS can vary from a light ache in the muscle to incapacitating agony when you try to use the muscle. Here are a few tips to get over the aching and promote recovery.

• Make sure your getting all the necessary nutrients for the muscle to recover. If your diet is poor then the chance are that you will suffer for longer. Get the right kind of nutrients via a healthy diet or supplements.
• Stretch after the session. This only works for some people and wont get rid of the DOMS completely, but should help.
• Try hot and/or cold showers or baths. heating and cooling the body can increase the flow of blood to the muscles and so increase the amount of nutrients reaching them. This helps with the recover process because more nutrients means quicker recovery.
• Train again, but lightly! Going training again is another way to increase the blood flow to the muscle, which as I said above has many benefits to help recovery.
• Foam rolling. Very uncomfortable process, but  can help improve the flexibility of the muscle and relieve any tension. Can help reduce DOMS, but is usually very uncomfortable.

Hope this advice helps. Now you can reduce the amount of time you spend feeling crippled after your gym sessions!