Warmer weather often means we start doing a little more.
You might get back to running, walk further on the weekend, return to a social sport, spend a few hours in the garden, or decide it’s finally time to use that gym membership again.
Then the next morning arrives.
Your legs are sore. Stairs suddenly seem much steeper than they did yesterday. Sitting down might be possible, but getting back up again is another matter.
So, why do our muscles become sore after exercise, and what can help with recovery?
Why do muscles get sore after exercise?
When we exercise, our muscles work against resistance and experience physical stress. This is a normal part of building strength, endurance and fitness.
Activities that are unfamiliar or more demanding than usual can cause microscopic changes within muscle fibres and surrounding tissues. The body responds with a natural inflammatory and repair process as the muscles adapt to the increased workload.
This can lead to delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), which typically develops 12–24 hours after activity, often peaks around 24–72 hours, and gradually settles over the following days.
DOMS is particularly common after activities involving eccentric muscle contractions, when a muscle lengthens while working under tension. Examples include walking downhill, lowering weights, running or repeatedly squatting.
You don’t have to complete an intense workout to experience it. Gardening, a longer walk than usual or returning to a sport after several months can all place unfamiliar demands on your muscles.
The soreness is not caused by lactic acid building up in your muscles, as was once commonly believed. Lactate is cleared relatively quickly after exercise and isn’t responsible for the discomfort experienced a day or two later.
Although soreness can be uncomfortable, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve injured yourself. It’s often part of the body’s normal response to unfamiliar physical activity.
However, not everyone experiences or recovers from physical activity in the same way. Existing injuries, chronic pain, inflammatory conditions and other health concerns can influence how the body responds to exercise. For some people, discomfort may be more pronounced, last longer or involve symptoms beyond typical muscle soreness.
Understanding your own body’s response and adjusting activity to suit your individual circumstances is an important part of staying active and managing recovery.
Helpful to know
You don’t need to feel sore for exercise to be effective.
As your muscles adapt to regular activity, you may experience less soreness even while continuing to improve your strength, endurance and fitness.
What helps muscles recover?
Recovery is an important part of physical activity. It allows the body to repair, adapt and prepare for the next session.
Several factors can support this process.
Rest and sleep
Adequate rest between demanding activities gives muscles time to recover. Sleep also plays an important role in the body’s repair and recovery processes.
Hydration and nutrition
Drinking sufficient fluids and eating a balanced diet helps support normal muscle function and recovery. Protein provides the building blocks needed for muscle repair, while carbohydrates help replenish energy stores after exercise.
Gentle movement
Light activity, such as walking, swimming or gentle mobility exercises, can help reduce feelings of stiffness and keep muscles moving comfortably.
Gradually increasing activity
Returning to exercise after a break is best approached progressively. Allowing your body time to adjust to increased activity can help reduce excessive soreness and the risk of overloading muscles and joints.
How can massage help after exercise?
Massage has long been part of sporting and exercise recovery routines, from professional athletes receiving treatment after competition to recreational runners and people experiencing muscular discomfort after physical activity.
Sports and remedial massage can help relieve muscle tension, reduce feelings of stiffness and improve comfort following exercise.
Research suggests massage may also provide a modest reduction in delayed onset muscle soreness and improvements in flexibility.
Although studies haven’t consistently demonstrated that massage directly improves subsequent sporting performance, reducing discomfort and helping someone feel more comfortable during recovery are valuable benefits.
Massage may be particularly helpful when muscles feel tight, tender or fatigued after increased activity. Treatment can be adapted to the person’s needs, the activity they’ve undertaken and the level of soreness they’re experiencing.
For some people, a gentle treatment may be more comfortable following strenuous exercise, while others may benefit from more targeted remedial massage to address areas of muscular tension.
Massage is not a replacement for adequate rest, nutrition or appropriate training, but it can be a useful part of a broader recovery routine.
Can chiropractic treatment help?
Exercise and physical activity place demands not only on our muscles but also on our joints and surrounding tissues.
When returning to an activity or increasing physical demands, some people may experience joint stiffness, restricted movement or musculoskeletal discomfort alongside muscle soreness.
Chiropractic treatment can help manage certain musculoskeletal conditions, particularly those involving the spine and joints. Depending on individual needs, treatment may include manual therapy, joint mobilisation, advice about movement and exercises to support mobility and function.
For people experiencing stiffness or discomfort that affects their ability to move comfortably, chiropractic care may be a useful part of their overall approach to staying active.
While chiropractic treatment doesn’t directly prevent delayed onset muscle soreness, it may help address associated joint and musculoskeletal symptoms that can arise with physical activity.
The role of stretching and movement
Stretching and gentle movement can be useful parts of maintaining flexibility, mobility and muscle comfort, particularly when returning to exercise or managing ongoing muscular tightness.
While research suggests stretching alone doesn’t reliably prevent delayed onset muscle soreness, it can still help maintain or improve range of movement and reduce feelings of stiffness.
Regular stretching may also be recommended by your massage therapist or chiropractor as part of an individual treatment approach. These exercises can help maintain improvements in flexibility and movement between appointments and support longer-term management of muscular tension.
The type of stretching, how often it’s performed and when it’s most appropriate will depend on the individual and their physical activity. Stretching should generally feel comfortable rather than painful, particularly when muscles are already sore following exercise.
Combining appropriate stretching with regular movement, strengthening and other recovery strategies can help keep your body moving comfortably.
When is muscle soreness something more?
Ordinary post-exercise muscle soreness generally develops gradually after unfamiliar or increased activity and improves over several days.
An injury may feel different.
Pain that begins suddenly during activity, significant swelling or bruising, marked weakness, difficulty putting weight through an area, or symptoms that continue to worsen rather than settle may indicate something other than normal muscle soreness.
Severe muscle pain accompanied by pronounced weakness, swelling or dark urine requires urgent medical attention.
If you’re unsure whether you’re experiencing normal post-exercise soreness or an injury, it’s worth seeking advice from an appropriate healthcare professional.
Supporting your recovery
Whether you’re returning to exercise, training for a sporting event or simply becoming more active, some muscle soreness is a normal part of adjusting to increased physical demands.
Adequate rest, good nutrition, hydration and gradually increasing activity all play important roles in recovery. Stretching, gentle movement and appropriate hands-on treatment can also help manage discomfort and maintain mobility.
At Feel Amazing Wellness Centre in Chatswood, our sports and remedial massage therapists and chiropractor help people manage a range of muscular and musculoskeletal concerns.
From relieving muscle tension and stiffness to improving joint mobility and movement, treatment can be tailored to individual needs and activity levels.
Whether you’re regularly exercising or have simply been a little more enthusiastic in the garden than usual, looking after your muscles and joints can help you continue enjoying the activities you love.
References
Davis HL, Alabed S, Chico TJA. Effect of sports massage on performance and recovery: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine. 2020;6.
Herbert RD, de Noronha M, Kamper SJ. Stretching to prevent or reduce muscle soreness after exercise. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2011.
Cheung K, Hume P, Maxwell L. Delayed onset muscle soreness: treatment strategies and performance factors. Sports Medicine. 2003;33(2):145–164.