A LITTLE SORENESS, technically called as Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) can be expected when participating in an exercise programme. There are some pains, though, that could indicate an injury that need to be treated. Muscle soreness is okay, but a pulled muscle is not. Knowing the difference can save you a lot of pain and recovery time. Catching an injury in the early stages can help to keep the damage to a minimum.
Muscle soreness = good pain
- Exercising doesn’t have to hurt to be effective, but a few aches do come with the territory. Muscle soreness is acceptable
- You can can recognize muscle soreness when your muscle feel heavy or burn a bit during a workout or start aching a few hours later and perhaps ache the next day.
- This type of delayed onset soreness is not harmful and is to to be expected when you up the intensity of your workout.
- Give the muscles at least 48 hours to recover before you work them again.
- Working muscles when they are sore increase your likelihood of injury.
- Alternate your workouts, such as your upper body one day and your lower body the next, to give muscle groups a little rest.
Sprains, pulls, and other injuries = bad pain
- Any time you feel a sharp pain immediately after a workout, the pain is worse on one side of the body,or it doesn’t go away in 48 hours, you might have a pulled muscle or other injury.
- A pulled muscle can feel like tear when it happens, and it hurts a lot even when you stop.
- When you injure the ligaments that connect bones to another, you have a sprain.
