Is it advisable to engage in physical activity if I'm still recoverying from my previous workout session?

Article Title: Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS): Understanding Its Impact on Exercise and Recovery

Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) is a common occurrence for many individuals engaging in exercise, especially when pushing their limits or trying new activities. This achy or stiff feeling in muscles, which typically sets in within the first 12-24 hours after exercise and often peaks 24-72 hours after, is a result of tiny tears in muscles followed by inflammation during the recovery process.

It's essential to listen to your body and never push through intense discomfort or pain, as this could be a sign of an injury. However, muscle soreness itself is not necessarily a good indicator of progress in exercise. In fact, studies have shown that exercising while recovering from DOMS may negatively affect strength, performance, balance, and skill performance in certain activities.

The studies, which were relatively short-term, lasting for seven weeks for the weight training study and three weeks for the high-intensity interval training study, suggest that rest days may not significantly impact long-term progress in building strength or fitness. Training on consecutive days vs non-consecutive days also does not seem to significantly affect improvements in building muscle strength and size, or aerobic fitness and time trial performance.

However, if muscles feel extremely sore and last for more than seven days, visible muscle bruising is present where the muscle is sore, or sharp pain is present, it's recommended to consult a doctor.

While taking a rest day here and there may help maintain motivation and avoid injury over the course of a training year, the impact of activities like massage or an ice bath on muscle recovery is relatively small. Exercising with sore muscles is unlikely to hinder training progress, but it's recommended to avoid exercises that rely on balance, as the risk of injury could be slightly greater.

It's important to note that there are no search results directly providing Hunter Bennett's scientific statement on whether to continue training while experiencing muscle soreness. However, the general consensus from the available research is to prioritise recovery when dealing with DOMS.

In conclusion, understanding DOMS and its impact on exercise and recovery is crucial for any fitness enthusiast. While it may not be a direct indicator of progress, it's important to listen to your body and take appropriate rest when needed to avoid potential injuries and maintain overall fitness levels.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.

Is it advisable to engage in physical activity if I'm still recoverying from my previous workout session?