[Freyja]

Goodmorning Ladies (and Gents!),

I was hoping that maybe the more exercise-experienced of you could give me some advice . I recently just joined a gym. When you join this gym, you meet with a personal trainer and get a fitness plan made up for your needs etc. Well, I've been going for a month now. The first 2 weeks comprised of me just doing my own thing, getting used to machines etc. The past 2 weeks have involved the fitness plan set out by the trainer.

All has been going well so far, until Monday when he introduced me to the second part of my plan which involves floor exercises (push ups, lunges, ab curls etc) and some weights (dumb bell press etc). Ladies, let me tell you, I feel the pain, and I have felt it since Monday evening. My muscles completely ache. They ache to the point of where getting out of a chair is becoming a battle of wills haha. Granted the pain isn't severe, or anything needing medical treatment, it is just good ol' "man the gym kicked my butt" acheyness.

I've read that the only way to loosen up and get rid of the ache, is to keep moving. I've been taking warm baths with epsom salts too, just to try and ease it a little. I'm due to go back to the gym tonight for a different session which will involve a stint on the tredmill and a few leg exercises, although I'm unsure as to whether this will help the ache, or make it worse. I guess I'm just hoping one of you lovely people will be able to give me some advice. Is it better to keep on moving and try to stick out the gym tonight? Also, I would be grateful if anybody had some tips on how to ease this ache!

Thanks!
Frey x.

[mkroyer]

doing any strength training on already sore muslces is a waste of time...your muscles havent fully recovered (or they wouldnt still be sore)..it might make the soreness worse..HOWEVER, doing some cardio with sore muscles is completely different...getting the blood pumping through the muscles again will help to flush out all that lactic acid that built up in your muscles..youll feel lots better..... i always do

[festivus]

I don't know that I agree. I remember my first foray into strength training - I was 15 and had joined the volleyball team. It was pretty vigorous stuff and I could barely walk the first week or so.

I remember telling my coach the next day that I couldn't do my set of 100 lunges because my legs were to sore. She laughed at me and said do them anyway. She was right. After a couple minutes a lot of the soreness went away and the muscles loosened up.

Build up of lactic acid is what is causing the soreness. You can try massaging your sore muscles to help disperse the lactic acid, this will help with the pain. Otherwise, make sure you are drinking PLENTY of water before and after you workout, take an anti-inflammatory such as ibuprofen, work through the ache because it will get better, and lastly, make sure you properly stretch after you exercise.

[Jinksie]

what fest said

[littlelion]

The same thing happened to me yesterday....I was NOT looking forward to doing my lunges and other floor exercises, because my legs/knees were hurting from Monday. However, once I got started I realize that the pain seemed to go away once I was moving.