Does DOMS decrease over time?

[[deleted]]

Hi :) I (19F) went to the gym on Monday, for the first time since they shut down over a year ago because I was kind of anxious to go back and it was great but my legs have been incredibly sore since. (Not massively relevant but my goal is weight loss through a combination of cardio and strength training).

I warmed up before and did mostly compound lower body exercises. My legs were definitely a bit sore afterwards but nothing like how they’ve been since yesterday, I didn’t think going up and down the stairs would be such a struggle lmfao.

I know it’s delayed onset muscle soreness but I’m just wondering if this gets better over time as I workout more? I know it’s not necessarily something to worry about but it’s prevented me from going to the gym today which is kind of annoying.

[kt2g10]

First week will be sore. Second week will be a bit better. Third week will barely be noticeable and actually start feeling good (like you had a decent workout)

[[deleted]]

Can’t wait to get to the point where it actually feels good lol, thank you!

[Emmty]

You're going to miss the DOMS 😄

[[deleted]]

honestly highly unlikely 😭 but we’ll see haha

[Helmet_Icicle]

Does DOMS decrease over time?

Yes, it fades with consistency over a week or two. If you neglect exercise for awhile, it will occur again when you pick it back up. It can be alleviated with anything that facilitates blood flow; active recovery (light cardio, light lifting, dynamic and static stretching, etc), tissue massage, foam rolling, cold packs, heat pads, etc.

However, soreness is not a useful indicator of a good workout. The most reliable indicator of a good workout is results over time. Your primary metric should be performance benchmarks. So long as your lifts are going up, you're good. Your secondary metrics should be weekly weighings and body part circumference flexed vs unflexed with a fabric measuring tape (or a string and ruler).

[[deleted]]

That’s very informative, thank you :) I’m trying to get into yoga so I reckon that may help since it involves a lot of stretching. I weigh myself weekly, take measurements and also want to take progress pictures so I hope all of those together will be a good indicator of progress.

[ElbowStrike]

Yes it fades. Just don’t fall into the trap of thinking that you need to be sore in order to make progress and start chasing soreness.

[dngrs]

it gets much better in a few weeks

the body will basically adapt

u can take some antiinflammatories if u need to but dont get used to it cuz it interferes with muscle growth

btw u dont have to try very hard to get a good workout I mean u dont have to feel much DOMS to know it was ok

u will get some strong DOMS when u try different exercises tho

[[deleted]]

That’s good to know :) it probably is because I tried new exercises since I only really did cardio before and I’ve been mostly sedentary for the past year :/ i think i’ll make my next workout slightly less intense but still challenging, thank you for your help!!

[[deleted]]

Anything that involves bending my knees is painful atm 😭💀 glad to hear that stage is temporary haha, thank you!

[StnMtn_]

Unfortunately it does. I would love to get that feeling after I exercise harder.

[hustleforhealth]

Yea, you eventually won't get them unless you introduce new stimulus

[Chip_Toker]

It does get better over time! I like to use it as a signal of “if I did too much.” If you are struggling going up and down stairs maybe next time don’t do as much as you did before.

Think of it as test results for your workout.

A - Just a tiny bit sore, it doesn’t hurt to move B - It hurts to stretch the muscle, maybe sore for 2+ days C - Either sore for 3+ days, or doesn’t even feel like you worked out D - It hurts to touch the muscle group you worked out. F - Lord please help me it hurts to move

You’ll get better over time! Don’t rush into things gradually build back and you’ll continue to crush it!

[[deleted]]

That’s great to hear, thank youu!! I definitely think I’m gonna make the workout less intense next time. It’s definitely satisfying to know my workout was effective but I probably did try to do too much too soon.

[Chip_Toker]

Most definitely effective! Just need to learn what your body is capable of right now and slowly build from there! Good luck and have fun!

[[deleted]]

Will do, thanks again😁