How to Avoid and Recover From DOMS

by Anna Monette Roberts 2

After an intense cardio workout or weight-training session, you might feel extreme exhaustion, muscle soreness, and nausea. This hit-by-a-truck feeling that you often wake up with the day after working out is called DOMS, which stands for delayed onset muscle soreness. Luckily, there are many preventative measures you can take to avoid it. Here's a quick list of 10 steps you should always take before, during, and after going to the gym.

1. Drink a cup or two of caffeinated tea or coffee before working out to increase muscular strength and endurance and reduce the chance of soreness.
2. Eat a preworkout snack that is low fat and high carb with some protein.
3. Take the time to warm up and cool down so you do not stress and overtax your muscles and heart.
4. Do not stop and start moving while exercising; instead, keep steadily moving so fresh blood will be sent to repair your taxed muscles.

For more tips to ease your case of DOMS keep reading.

5. While you are working out, stay hydrated by drinking water every 15 minutes.
6. If you are sweating a lot, it's important to replace lost electrolytes with a sports drink or other electrolyte-rich foods, because these essential salts regulate heart beats, muscular contractions, and nerve function.
7. Stretch and use a foam roller to lengthen muscles and break up knots.
8. Immediately after working out, eat a post-workout snack that has a 4:1 ratio of carbs to protein to help restore the nutrients lost in the muscles during the workout.
9. Consider getting a sports massage to increase circulation and break up major knots in problem areas that are always sore.
10. Take a cold shower post-workout to reduce inflammation of the muscles.