Did a lot of stuff in the past 4 days. I’m tired, my body hurts like heck, and I still have to write a second Daily Entry.
After a couple of hours of fruitless thinking about what to write about next all the while trying to ignore the fact that my back and abs hurt every time I move, I finally decided to write about the type of pain I’m having now. :P
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If you’re planning to undergo a full fitness regimen, you must be prepared for Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS), the muscle pain that occurs a day after performing an exercise.
The Wikipedia entry covers most of the stuff you need to know about DOMS. Heck, just the name alone should give you a good idea what to expect.
Some things you might want to take note about DOMS:
- Know the difference between injury and DOMS. Pain from injuries are usually more localized to an area and the swelling can be visible. It’s also much more painful than the latter. If you’re not confident about the risk of having injuries, I’d suggest you perform your exercises with supervision.
- I’m assuming that you have a job and not a bum like me. :P If that’s the case DOMS will kill your productivity at work so you must know how to deal with it. Know which painkillers work for your DOMS and keep a bunch of them within reach. You could also take note if stretching helps reduce DOMS in your current training regimen.
- Ab DOMS is IMHO the most annoying type of DOMS because a lot of body movement requires the abs. Sit up straight? ow. Laugh? ow. ow. ow. Lie down? Ouch! Cough or sneeze? aw, fuck. Just something to keep in mind before doing those crunches. :D
- Leg DOMS is also annoying but obviously it’s only a problem if you’re planning to walk a lot the day after you do your leg exercises.
