Understanding DOMS (And How To Work With It)
You smash a workout. You feel invincible. Then the next morning arrives and suddenly walking down the stairs feels like a heroic quest. Congratulations. You’ve met DOMS.
Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness is that achy, stiff feeling that creeps in 24 to 72 hours after a new or challenging workout. It’s not lactic acid (that clears within an hour or so). The real story is way cooler and way more useful to understand.
What’s Actually Happening?
When you train, especially when muscles lengthen under load (think lowering a squat or the downward phase of a bicep curl), tiny micro-tears occur in the muscle fibres. It sounds dramatic, but it’s completely normal. In fact, it’s the first step of getting stronger.
Your body responds by:
• Creating controlled inflammation to clean up the mess
• Repairing and rebuilding those fibres so they come back stronger and more resilient
DOMS is simply the sensation of that remodelling taking place. A sign you’ve pushed your body to adapt.
But here’s the twist: you don’t need crippling soreness to grow. A little is great. Too much can make you skip training sessions, mess with your routine, or struggle to perform in sports.
It’s all about finding the “just right” zone.
Smart Ways to Manage the Soreness
Instead of popping medication to silence the signal, we can support our body’s natural recovery systems.
Here’s what helps:
• Gentle movement: Light walking, cycling, or mobility work boosts blood flow and healing
• Stretching: Static stretches after training help release tension and restore range of motion
• Warm baths: Bonus points for Epsom salts; heat improves circulation and relaxation
• Foam rolling & massage: Encourages nutrients in, waste products out
• Hydration: Muscles recover better when they’re well-watered
• Sleep & nutrition: The real magic happens overnight and in the kitchen, especially with enough protein
Think of recovery as part of your workout, not the time in between.
How to Prevent DOMS From Taking Over
If you’re new to training, coming back from time off, or levelling up intensity, DOMS is likely to show up stronger. You can ease into progress without unleashing the soreness monster.
Try:
• Progressive overload: Build up gradually… not “returning-from-a-6-month-break-so-I’ll-go-heavy-on-day-one” energy
• Warm-ups & cool-downs: Prepare the muscles, then give them a calm landing
• Mix it up: Rotate muscle groups so each has time to recover
• Stay fuelled: Protein helps repair those fibres you proudly damaged
Training consistently > one massive workout followed by four days of penguin-walking and regret.
The Bottom Line
A bit of soreness is a friendly reminder that you challenged yourself. It’s a whisper from your muscles saying, “We’re rebuilding… stay tuned.” But you don’t need to chase pain to make progress.
Focus on consistent training, smart progression, and proper recovery. DOMS becomes the sidekick, not the villain.
Keep moving, keep fuelling, and keep showing up. Strength is built not in a single heroic session, but through the steady rhythm of training, recovering, and coming back for more.
