Why You’re Always Sore After Workouts (And How to Recover Faster)

You finally tried the inner thigh machine at the gym, and three days later, every step is somehow still excruciating. Or maybe it was the leg press, and now you’re grabbing onto your chair for dear life as you try to sit (or get up from) the table. 

If that’s ever happened to you, you might be wondering if you overdid it. Is that much soreness even healthy? And at what point is it supposed to go away? 

Delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is common, especially if you’re trying a new exercise. It’s generally what happens after strength training, but it can show up after any tough workout, like a long hike or ambitious yoga class you weren’t ready for. 

While some soreness is normal, you don’t have to (and shouldn’t) feel sore after every single workout. It’s not the only sign of getting stronger, and it doesn’t even necessarily mean it was an effective session. In fact, chasing that kind of “I can’t even get up” feeling can slow your progress. 

Learn why soreness happens and strategies to help your body heal and recover more quickly. With these methods, you can gain even more strength, avoid injury, stay consistent, and speed up your overall progress.

Causes of post-workout soreness

Soreness usually shows up when you use your muscles in new ways or push harder than usual. Fortunately, not every type of workout will leave you feeling sore, and that’s a good thing. It isn’t always a sign of progress — sometimes, it’s just stress, and our bodies need breaks to recover. 

Here’s exactly what’s going on in your body when it happens:

1. Microscopic muscle damage

Strength training leads to tears in muscle fibers. Extra load puts stress on your muscles, and with the pressure, the fibers break down at a microscopic level. This triggers your body to get to work repairing the damage, making it bigger, thicker, and stronger so it can handle the challenge better next time. This is why taking time off to recover is key. 

The sore tenderness you feel isn’t usually from the tear, but from the rebuilding process, which has to do with inflammation and extra blood flow. In some cases, it may also be your fascia (the thin stretchy web thing covering your muscles) that gets irritated. 

2. Inflammation

The word inflammation almost triggers fear these days, but it’s actually not all bad! It’s a natural response to muscle damage and part of your healing and growth process. It’s even a good thing when it’s short-term, like that “good stress” everyone raves about with cold plunges. It lets your body repair tiny “problems” to make you even stronger. (And if you do cold plunges or showers, you know just how good that stress feels when it’s over!).  

3. Lactic acid myths

You know that cramping burn you get in your quads when cycling up a big mountain? That’s lactic acid. It’s a byproduct of your muscles breaking down glucose for energy without enough oxygen to use it well. Basically, your muscles are working harder than your lungs and blood can deliver oxygen to them. 

The burn usually only happens during short bursts of intense activity, like sprinting or lifting heavy. Once you’re done the workout, though, it’s converted back to usable energy or gets flushed out of your body. So, it’s not part of next-day soreness, it’s a temporary byproduct that usually clears out of your muscles within about an hour. 

Tips for faster recovery

You might enjoy that initial soreness if you associate it with a successful workout. When it’s painful just to get out of bed, though, you probably wish you stretched a little more or didn’t push quite so hard. Here are some tips to make sure you recover quickly and ease that post-workout pain: 

• Hydrate and nourish: If you want your muscles to get the energy they need to rebuild, they’re going to need both water and nutrients. Make sure to get a good post-workout snack or meal within about an hour afterwards. Include protein, healthy fats, and antioxidant-rich complex carbs like starchy veggies. Anti-inflammatory foods with omega-3s might also help. 

Get specific tips about diet for muscle gain and longevity to start eating better, without feeling restricted. 

• Practice active recovery: You might want to move as minimally as possible when sore, but light movement works to increase blood flow, which can speed up healing (more oxygen and nutrients). Try something light and manageable, like gentle yoga or a quiet walk to wind down and relax. Research shows this type of movement may be even more helpful than a post-workout cooldown. And if you need guidance on where to get started, a personal trainer can help!

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• Sleep and rest: We know that sleep is essential; it’s when our bodies do most of their repair work. When we rest, we’re giving our bodies a break from everything else they have to do (like problem-solving, digesting, giving energy to talk or move, etc.). Sleep is when our body can get to work to heal because it finally has the time and space to do so.

• Try massages and foam rolling: Stretching alone isn’t always enough. For extra release and circulatory help, try a massage or foam roller. After a workout or some light active recovery, you can use an at-home electric hand massager (or your hands for a few minutes) or, after light active recovery, like a walk. 

• Actively cool down: There doesn’t seem to be much evidence behind post-exercise stretching, but some light movement (active recovery) might still help. It could encourage blood flow throughout your body, sending more oxygen and nutrients to your muscles. It also helps gradually lower your heart rate. Maybe that’s just a walk home from the gym instead of a drive (if you’re close enough). 

How to prevent post-workout soreness

While a bit of soreness now and then isn’t a bad thing, you want to be sure you’re not over-stressing your muscles. Making sure you give your body what it needs to manage a tough workout, as well as heal and recover more quickly, is what leads you to feeling your strongest. Plus, it’s what will help you stay more consistent, since you’re not spending days hiding from the gym because you can barely walk.

• Warm up properly: Your muscles need time to “loosen up” and get ready to work. A bit of light movement, like 5-10 minutes, reduces the risk of injury and soreness. Try a few dynamic (moving) stretches as well to target muscles that might not otherwise get activated with basic cardio. For example, gentle movement while you do a hamstring stretch, a knee to chest stretch, an arm and neck stretch, and marching in between.. 

• Progress gradually: When it comes to working out (or starting any new healthy habit), most of us try to do too much, too soon. Instead of downloading a random workout PDF or trying to hit all the weights, choose two to three resistance exercises to start with. Choose weights that tire you out by the tenth rep, not the fourth. 

Check out this article on strength training for beginners for exact tips to start working out, without the overwhelm. 

• Schedule recovery days: You’ve probably heard it before; if you want your muscles to grow, you need to give them rest days. Without enough time between workouts, your body doesn’t have the time to rebuild those tiny tears. That means they keep tearing before having the chance to get stronger. Try switching up strength workouts into lower and upper body days to be sure the muscles that need breaks get them. 

You can also try deload weeks, where you only do gentle or active recovery activities. This lets your muscles, joints, and nervous system completely recover. 

• Listen to your body: If you’re super sore, it’s probably best to take a day (or two) off and rest — see what signs your body is giving you about what it can tolerate. While it’s okay to feel a bit sore and still work out, other types of pain are red flags to take it easy. Sharp pain, joint aches, and long-lasting fatigue mean it’s best to visit a doctor and get a full checkup. 

Get stronger safely with trainwell

If you’ve been stuck in a cycle of soreness and frustration, a professional trainer who offers expertise (and accountability) might be your best bet. They create a manageable plan that fits your goals, getting you in the shape you want without days of unnecessary pain. You get just the right amount to rest, recover, and make your muscle strength grow. 

Our trainers work to keep you consistent with fun workouts and compassion.. They don’t just push you to keep going like a drill sergeant, leaving you waddling like a duck while you walk in pain for days. They ask for feedback, check in with how you’re feeling, and constantly shift the plan according to what you want. See what it’s like to have a workout buddy by your side, helping you to grow strong with our 14-day free trial today.

Written by Jennifer Olejarz.