Put yourself in these shoes: you came to TRIBES for a workout, you had a great session with your trainer, even did PB’s, gave your 100% and you feel amazing after lifting those heavy weights, completing those lunges, showing up and not giving up. Amazing. Then the next morning you can't even walk out the stairs, and you beg your children to give you a massage.

Let me introduce you to DOMS, or in other more simple words, muscle soreness.

What is DOMS?

It is the feeling of ache and/or stiffness after exercise. Usually shows up between 12-24 hours after exercise, peaks around 24-72 hours and fades over the next few days. It is completely normal, and it can affect any individual, particularly after trying a new activity or pushing yourself harder than usual.

Why DOMS occurs?

When we lift heavy weights, we create tiny micro-tears in our muscle tissue, which causes some inflammation.

This is a completely normal part of training and not as harmful as it might sound.

As the body repairs these small tears, the muscles become stronger and more resilient over time, that’s how we get fitter and stronger.

These micro-tears often happen during the eccentric phase of a lift (the "controlled down" part of the movement).

What can I do to prevent or reduce DOMS?

DOMS usually gets better on its own after a few days. However, there are several things you can do to reduce the pain and recover faster

• Massage the area. It can provide pain relief as well as reduce the duration of DOMS, thereby helping you get back to normal activities much sooner. You can book a sports massage here at TRIBES or use self-care techniques like foam rolling to ease muscle tension and discomfort.

• Heat and cold therapy. Ice baths and cold showers reduce inflammation and pain whilst hot baths, saunas and heating pads relax tight muscles and improve blood flow. A combination of both, also called contrast therapy, can boost circulation and speed up recovery.

• Adequate Sleep. Crucial as it’s when the body repairs the muscles, releases growth hormone, reduces inflammation and restores energy. Without good sleep, soreness lasts longer, and recovery slows, making it difficult to push harder on the next training.

• Stay hydrated. Proper hydration helps deliver nutrients and remove waste from muscles, maintains electrolyte balance which prevents cramps and stiffness, reduces inflammation so soreness feels less intense, keeps joints and tissues lubricated and speeds up muscle repair and recovery. Aim to sip water consistently throughout the day, not just during workouts.

• Warm up and cool down. A short warm-up gets your muscles, joints, and heart ready for exercise, reducing the risk of injury. Cooling down with light movement and static stretching helps your body recover and may reduce soreness. Just a few extra minutes before and after training can make a big difference.

• Fuel yourself properly. Eat balanced, whole and nutritious foods. You need protein to repair the muscles, carbs to restore energy, healthy fats like Omega 3 to reduce inflammation and antioxidant rich fruits and veggies to fight oxidative stress. Micronutrients like magnesium, potassium and vitamin D support relaxation and repair.

• Active recovery. Gentle movement like walking, light cycling, yoga or mobility work can improve blood flow and reduce muscle stiffness. “Rest” does not mean doing nothing.

Conclusion

Always remember that DOMS is normal, especially when you're starting out, increasing intensity, or trying new exercises. But it's not the goal. Soreness doesn’t mean progress or muscle build and no soreness doesn’t mean you didn’t work hard enough!

Focus on recovery as much as your training. Because in the end, the better you recover, the better you will feel and the better you will perform and that’s how real and sustainable progress happens.