Exercise and fitness: Expert-approved tips to fight post-workout muscle soreness and aches

Exercise tips: To avoid any trouble during or post workout, listen to your body and understand its responses and adaptations to workout techniques, say fitness experts

Let's talk fitness and exercises. If you love to sweat it out and stretch your body, the gym is the place to be in. Nothing beats the thrill of lifting heavy, running fast, and trying out new and exciting workouts. But sometimes, your muscles pay the price for your enthusiasm, or your impatience to start seeing those bulging biceps or six-pack abs. You may feel stiff, sore, and achy after a tough session. This is called delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), and it's a sign that you've worked hard.

According to Dr Karan Verma, Fitness Consultant, Mahatma Gandhi Hospital, Jodhpur, muscle soreness can affect anyone who works out regularly and has increased the intensity, duration, or type of routine. "This is because our muscles are constructed following a common principle: they are broken down first before being built up. To avoid any trouble during or post workout, listen to your body and understand its responses and adaptations to workout techniques," says Dr Verma.

To combat delayed muscle soreness, keep these expert-approved tips in mind while working out.

Strech yourself: "Stretching after your workout is important," says Mumbai-based physiotherapist Deepika Purohit. "When you stretch, you make your muscles longer and more flexible. This helps improve the blood flow to your muscles, which helps to get rid of waste products and make your muscles feel less stiff," Purohit adds. Besides, stretching also helps improve flexibility, which can prevent injuries and enhance your overall athletic performance.

Take rest: For faster, and better, recovery, adequate rest after your workout routine is critical. "When you exercise, your muscles undergo microscopic tears, which is a natural part of the muscle-building process. Resting allows these tears to heal and the muscles to repair and grow stronger," says Purohit, adding, "When you take rest, your body releases testosterone and other growth hormones, which play a vital role in muscle recovery and development. Lack of sufficient rest can lead to overtraining, increasing the risk of injuries and hindering progress."

Get enough sleep: Adequate sleep is a step towards good health. Good sleep also aids muscle recovery and overall health. Research says that during deep sleep, your body produces more growth hormone, contributing to tissue repair. Hence you should aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep every night for a speedy recovery. Says Dr Verma, "Deep sleep is 20-30 percent of your total sleep, So for maximum healing, sleep more to heal more."

Apply hot/cold compress: Fitness experts believe that both heat and ice therapy can be useful in your post-workout recovery arsenal. However, choosing the right one depends on the type of soreness and the stage of your recovery process. "Ice therapy is used to flush out all the waste products like lactic acid quickly by vasoconstriction. You can experiment  with both methods to find what works best for your body and brings you the most relief. However, if you have any medical conditions or concerns, it's advisable to consult with a doctor before using any therapies," says Dr Verma.

Don’t skip warm-up sessions: By incorporating a thorough warm-up routine into your workouts, you create a solid foundation for a safe and effective exercise session. "Warming up before exercise is essential for several reasons. Warm-up exercises help increase blood flow to the muscles, which delivers oxygen and nutrients, reducing the risk of muscle cramps and injuries during exercise," says Purohit. These exercises also increase body temperature, making the muscles more pliable and less prone to tears or strains.

Keep yourself hydrated: In order to support your body's optimal functioning and recovery,  make sure you drink sufficient amount of water throughout the day. Apart from several other health reasons, keeping yourself hydrated is mandatory for maintaining efficient nutrient circulation and waste product removal in the body. Agrees Dr Verma, "Water helps transport essential nutrients to muscles, aiding in their recovery and growth. Proper hydration also supports the removal of waste products produced during exercise, thus reducing the likelihood of muscle soreness and cramping."