If you're among the many who followed through with New Year's resolutions and began a new fitness program last week, tight, sore and fatigued muscles may be tempting you to retreat back to the sofa.
Nothing can sideline an exercise program quicker than muscle pain.
But don't throw in the towel just yet. While there may be some pain associated with starting a new exercise routine, if you work out smart you can enjoy the experience without any late-night visits to urgent care. The most frequently occurring pain associated with taking on a new type of exercise, or with starting to exercise for the first time, is delayed onset muscle soreness. It's best described as muscle soreness or aching that occurs one or two days after you've worked muscles that are not commonly used or you've worked muscles in a way different from which they are accustomed. Another theory is that DOMS occurs because of the microscopic muscular cell damage that occurs during exercise.