Understanding Muscle Fatigue and Soreness: The Recovery Process

Although regularly exercising will cause you to reap some health benefits, such as increased energy levels and feeling good about yourself, it’s a different story if you’re pushing yourself too hard. People who don’t let their bodies recover well after an intense physical training are placing stress on their muscles, joints, and bones. This will ultimately result in fatigue, soreness, and poor performance. 

If you think that you’re overtraining yourself, you may want to consider booking a one-on-one appointment with a stretching trainer. Stretching daily will increase flexibility, improve your mental state, and teach your muscles how to recover properly.

This blog will help you reach your fitness goals. Check out how to spot the signs of overtraining and our expert tips that promote fast recovery from sore muscles.

Signs of Overtraining

Muscle Soreness That Lingers for a Week

While it’s reasonable to experience muscle soreness after a workout, experiencing pain is a different story. If your workout makes it difficult for you to move some parts of your body or pain that lingers for a week, that isn’t normal. Instead of trying to do too much too fast, experts recommend increasing the intensity of your workouts in small increments. Doing so will allow your body to reach your fitness and exercise goals more quickly.

You Experience One-Sided Soreness

One-sided soreness is a sure sign that you’ve pushed that side of your body a little too far. When this happens, you’ll need to give your muscles more time to heal and recover. If you want to hasten the healing process, you can enlist the help of a certified stretching trainer. Deciding to ignore the problem and jump back into your workout routine too soon might lead to chronic pain and difficulty with recovery.

You Cram All of Your Exercises into One Workout Session

People who make exercise their last priority tend to push themselves too hard when they do get the chance to hit the gym. They typically cram many activities into a single session, and the end up limping around for days.

What Helps Muscle Recovery?

You may be wondering how to speed up muscle recovery. There is ultimately no way to actually ‘speed up’ the recovery process, but implementing the right routines and following the correct steps can certainly help you heal faster than without them. 

Eat Right

Did you know that your muscle fibers become damaged each time you work out? Then, as they heal, they become thicker and more durable than before, which leads to growth! Proper nutrition is a critical factor in the process of repairing damaged muscle fibers. If you’re working out a lot, drinking lots of water, consuming more quality carbohydrates, and pumping up your protein intake can help. However, you should also note that everybody has different needs, and if you’re looking to make diet changes, it’s best to speak with a professional! 

Give Your Muscles a Break

After an intense workout session, your muscles need to take time off to rebuild and recover. Although it’s not advisable to keep your sore muscles immobile for the next couple of days, experts also explicitly discourage engaging in another intense workout session on the very next day. Work on another target area and get a professional stretch in the meantime. We’re sure that little “Stretch me!” voice in the back of your mind will start to quiet!

Get Enough Sleep

You really need to value your sleep. And, not just any sleep, but high-quality sleep that allows your mind and body to recover. Getting a proper amount of rest and sleep is extremely important if you want your body to spend more of its energy on recovery. In other words, your body, as well as your muscle fibers, will recover more quickly when you’ve had a good night’s sleep.

Does Stretching Help Muscle Recovery?

Having a balanced recovery process is important, but the best way to promote fast recovery from muscle soreness is through stretching. If your muscles are sore from yesterday’s intense workout, don’t even think about not moving your muscles all day. Listen to your body when it says, “Stretch me!”. If you want to get back in the gym faster, book a 30-minute stretch with the experts at Stretch Zone for free!