What to do when your recovery sucks | Talking DOMS
I know how old this is going to make me sound… but maaaannnn, my back is S T I F F.
Today is Thursday, and yesterday I squatted and on Sunday I finally broke a new strength PR of 230lb sumo deadlifts at this body weight! Exciting AF for me, especially since my strength took a hit during my bikini competition prep!!!
But, y’all, I am still feeling it. My body hurts.
I just had a date with my foam roller and it got me thinking about how delayed onset muscle soreness (or DOMS, for short) affects me quite often. It is NOT fun.
If you don’t know about DOMS, it’s just what is sounds like; muscle soreness that surfaces around 24 hours to 48 hours post workout and can cause stiffness, tension, pain, and inflammation in the body. DOMS is most often experienced at the beginning of a sporting season or beginning of new types of activities and movements.
A lot of of people chase this constant soreness in the gym so they can feel rewarded post workout, as if their workout “did something.”
Nah fam. I’m here to tell you that is NOT the goal for your workout. If you get that sore ALL the time it’s likely not a good thing. But we can definitely talk more about what should be the goal in another blog post.
Hey, if you’re here, maybe you’re like me and your recovery is shit.
Maybe you’re feeling burnt out, or are feeling less energized.
This, my friends, is for you. Let’s get you feeling better!
But really, how do you know when you aren’t recovering well from your gym sessions?
Lets start here first, because it may not be enough to be constantly sore to notice or have it sink in that you might be experiencing DOMS. Sometimes we are so mentally in our workouts that we ignore it.
There are other ways DOMS can become evident, from not sleeping enough or well, to feeling groggy in the morning, being overly thirsty, moody or aggitated, demotivated, or inability to focus or complete tasks or projects.
Maybe some tendonitis is acting up or you’re holding onto a lot of water. I don’t know your body, but these are all signs to look out for!
If these are problems you don’t typically face and you find that you’re suddenly starting to feel “off,” and you’re still trying to push through as hard in the gym; it could be time to take some time off for yourself to rest and recover.
I mean really, how often are you in the gym slaying your workouts, pushing your boundaries, getting done with every minute of cardio, barely missing a beat with your macros and meal timing?
It usually comes with a price of slacking a little bit on the whole “recovery process” of exercise. Don’t lie, we all do it.
Here’s a few strategies that have been shown to help if you’re struggling with DOMS.
1. REST
If you aren’t giving yourself enough downtime where you aren’t moving very much, this can affect your recovery tremendously. Staying sedentary seems to be something we’re all afraid of when we have a goal, but promise that this is necessary for muscle growth. If you have DOMS, your muscles are going to be tight and you put yourself at higher risk of injury if you continue training.
2. Cut down the intensity
If DOMS persists for weeks on end, scale back! I’m not talking forever, mainly just temporarily; A.K.A take a “deload” (I will discuss these more in another post). Take some time off the gym or cut down the weight or volume all together. Give that central nervous system a break, to reset and calm down so we can get your stress down a bit.
2. Stretching & Yoga
While I don’t see the point in substituting a weightlifting routine for stretching & yoga (especially if you have a physique goal), it’s important to not neglect these forms of movement. Here’s an article on 21 stretches you can include in your routine.
3. Go for a light walk outside
How simple is this? I mean, I’m basically piggybacking off the last one, but it’s important to move in different ways. This is huge for your mental headspace, which can help bring down your stress levels and have possible benefits for your recovery. Light activity can do wonders for your muscle fibers without causing further damage.
4. Foam Roll
Although foam rolling can be painful in the moment, it is super beneficial for allowing for proper recovery; and whether or not you’re sore—you should be doing it. Foam rollers act as a massage and release the tight muscles to allow for increased range of motion, which is very helpful for preventing injury. For maximal benefits, you should foam roll before and after every workout, not just as a reactive strategy to soreness. This can improve your overall recovery.
5. Deep tissue massage
Massage is another way to increase blood flow and oxygen to the damaged muscle tissue. Not all of us have the luxury of getting a massage every week, but it’s definitely worth considering making the investment every few months as a form of self care.
6. Cryotherapy
I haven’t tried this myself, but people rave about this, so it must be great. And I can only imagine the wonders of benefits your body can reap by sitting in a tub of freezing temperatures. Seriously. Cold temperatures do wonders for inflammation, and studies have also shown that it can improve anxiety and depression (which is often caused as a result of high inflammation in the body).
7. Make sure you’re getting 8 hours of sleep
If this is a struggle for you, there are plenty of ways you can improve your sleep. Start with shutting off all electronics 1.5 hours before you want to go to sleep and read. If that’s not enough, try sleepy time tea. I have more tricks up my sleeve, so stay tuned for a post on this!
8. Seek out a medical professional
If you find that you still experience this muscle soreness and it persists longer than 72 hours for weeks or months on end, you are definitely not recovering from your lifts and it’s time to seek help from a medical professional *cough cough* to make sure you aren’t experiencing serious underlying inflammation as a side effect from another issue.
Now go my friends, grab yourself a foam roller, some sleepytime tea, and get some stretches in to maximize your recovery! I hope this was helpful for some of you!