By:  Alison Wortman

2010 Baby Boot Camp Franchise Owner of the Year & Leadership Coach

Soreness after a workout is not necessarily a bad thing and everyone goes through it - in fact it even has a name! Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS). Basically, when you work out, you create microscopic tears in the muscles.
 
Immediately after your workout, your amazing body begins to "rebuild" the worked muscles. This rebuilding process is what allows your muscle to get bigger and stronger - giving you a leaner, more toned appearance. HOWEVER, if the muscle is not given a chance to rest (or given the right nutrients in order to repair), it cannot rebuild and will most likely lead to injury..hence the reason rest IS important.

So although you may feel fatigue and soreness during exercise, that is not when the muscles are growing...it's during rest.

And of course, this is something EVERYONE can relate to...regardless of whether you are part of Baby Boot Camp, a running program, yoga class or pushing a lawn mower! Any intense workload on the muscles will most likely result in DOMS.

So what should you do? Giving yourself a nice rest is key. I usually recommend that you should wait about 24 hours before working out the same muscle group. That is not to say you cannot be active...if your legs are very sore from squats and lunges, a nice walk with the dog, might be just what you need to stretch them out and help them repair. I would stay away from back-to-back days of squats and lunges though! If after a day of rest, you are still feeling some minor soreness, work out through it...the blood flowing to the muscle might be just what your body needs to diminish soreness.

So while I disagree with expression "No pain, no gain" physically, I do believe that some soreness is a good thing.

Trainer Alert:  Soreness is OK, but pain is no good! If you are feeling pain the day after your workout, be sure to let your trainer know ASAP.