Myth #4: Never exercise a sore muscle

by Chris Sparling (Subscribe to Chris Sparling's posts)
Jul 20th 2008 10:00AM

Categories: Womens Health, HealthWatch, Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Men's Health

A gym is a great place to put in a solid workout, but it can sometimes be one of the worst places to get health and fitness advice. It's easy to assume that someone with a great physique must be an expert on health and fitness, but that may not necessarily be the case. Their advice, though well-intentioned, may not exactly be sound. Remember, not all great players make great coaches (ask Isiah Thomas). The approach to fitness these individuals take may work well for them, but for you they could potentially lead to disaster.

Men's Health magazine tackled this very topic in their article 7 Muscle Myths - Fact vs. Fiction. In it, researchers take a look at some common gym misconceptions and, in efforts to clear up any confusion and prevent potential injury, present their own expert advice. We'll be highlighting one of these myths each day here on That's Fit.
Here's a look at Myth #4:

Myth #4
Never exercise a sore muscle.
Before you skip that workout, determine how sore you really are. "If your muscle is sore to the touch or the soreness limits your range of motion, it's best that you give the muscle at least another day of rest," says Alan Mikesky, Ph.D., director of the human performance and biomechanics laboratory at Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis.

In less severe instances, an "active rest" involving light aerobic activity and stretching, and even light lifting, can help alleviate some of the soreness. "Light activity stimulates bloodflow through the muscles, which removes waste products to help in the repair process," says David Docherty, Ph.D., a professor of exercise science at the University of Victoria in Canada.

The real expert says: If you're not sore to the touch and you have your full range of motion, go to the gym. Start with 10 minutes of cycling, then exercise the achy muscle by performing no more than three sets of 10 to 15 repetitions using a weight that's no heavier than 30 percent of your one-rep maximum, says Docherty.

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Comments (2)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Yuri | myFitterU.com 7-20-2008 @ 1:15PM

Thankfully, we're starting to get this information out there.

So many people think that they shouldn't workout if they're so BUT in fact the exact opposite will help them recover faster.

If you're sore from doing push-ups for the first time in months, then the best thing to do is a set of push-ups (don't go crazy) and some light dynamic stretching to improve blood flow to the needed areas.

This will speed recovery and promote greater muscle strength.

Remember, though, that the key to limiting muscle soreness is to maintain a regular workout schedule. Hopping on and off the workout band-wagon will only make you life that much harder (and sore!).

Yuri
http://www.myFitterU.com

Chris 7-23-2008 @ 12:40PM

I wonder where this myth started?

If a person followed this principle, not only would they not make any progress, but they would CONTINUE to get sore from their workouts.

In contrast, a consistent workout (3-4 times a week) will enable a person to make progress while minimizing any soreness.

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