Feel Good About Feeling Sore

Feel Good About Feeling Sore

When you start a workout program that includes weight training, you can expect to feel sore and tired afterward. You might wonder whether you are doing yourself a favor or actually harming yourself. Keep in mind that, if you have not done anything like this, light weights and modest repetitions are the smart way to start. If you have not been doing any weight training—and especially if your daily routine includes lifting nothing heavier than a cereal box—you will feel sore. This is good because it means your muscles are being used. Experts recommend one day of weight training followed by one day of rest from weight training. (Daily aerobic exercise, however, is fine.) When you strength-train,you actually cause small tears in the muscle fibers. This is what causes soreness the day after you work out. The tears take two days to heal, a process that also results in steadily increasing strength. The initial soreness will go away and be replaced by a feeling of postexercise well-being. As you get comfortable with resistance training and add weight or repetitions, some soreness might return the day after you work out. This is your muscles telling you that you’ve just gotten a little bit stronger and a little bit fitter than you were when you started.
When it comes to strength training (and aerobic activities as well), remember that staying in your comfort zone won’t get you fitter very fast. If you keep using an amount of weight that you can easily lift, you will maintain whatever muscle tone you have, but you won’t steadily increase your strength. To do this, you need to challenge yourself.
At the same time, you will begin to experience how good you feel when you have worked hard. A little bit of soreness is a small price to pay for the physical and emotional benefits you are getting.