Too Much, Too Soon
This is the year! You’re going to get in shape, and you’re off to a running start! And the next day, ow, ow, you can hardly walk, and the stairs might as well be a fortress wall. It’s probably just benign soreness — common after doing a particularly tough workout or doing unfamiliar exercises. DOMS (delayed-onset muscle soreness) can be relieved with some light activity, like stretching or walking, and resolves on its own within a couple of days, but it is confidence-sapping and unpleasant, and if you don’t have a lot of experience with exercise, it can feel very worrisome.
This is a small example of “too much, too soon,” which can cause serious injury in those who “push through the pain.” There are a lot of messages floating around — that exercise is unpleasant, you should “leave everything on the gym floor,” and hurting the next day is how you know you got a good workout. None of this is necessarily true, although experienced exercisers may work to balance their gym days with off days so that they can go all-out in the gym, knowing that they have a rest plan in place to recover properly.
If you are new to exercise, your body has lots of room to grow in ability and conditioning. You will benefit from lower-intensity work — and you’ll enjoy it more and build a better foundation. Start with activity you can easily do more frequently, because that will make it easier to recover with a good (protein-rich) meal and a good night’s sleep.
Here are some alternatives to just tiring yourself out:
— Concentrate on good form for any new movements you try.
— Practice new exercises more slowly (or with lighter weight) than you are capable of. After you have learned the form, this is also a good way to warm up before your heavier work.
— Prepare for your gym visits with a plan, and consider “homework” like reading about ways to structure a workout (such as repetition ranges or fast/slower intervals), or reviewing videos about good form.
— Ask gym staff for help — most gyms have staff who can instruct you in equipment use, and many have trainers who can answer questions about free weights, too.
— Consider a session with a trainer to get careful instruction and a workout regimen to start with. Be sure to ask how to know when to progress. For example, you may start with one weight, doing 5 reps for three sets, adding reps at the next workout, and so on until you can do 10 reps, and then adding enough weight that you can only do 5 reps again, and repeat the cycle. Consider a follow-up session in a month or so to check progress and make adjustments.
— Don’t worry too much about “the perfect workout.” Just form a good, regular habit, and try to learn a little more about what you enjoy or give yourself mini goals (“I will try a new class.” “I will learn a new exercise.”) that you can achieve within a matter of a week or so.
Regular exercise makes life better in many ways — better health, better sleep, better mood. Give yourself the gift of an exercise habit you can stick with.