No matter how fit you may be from other physical activities, when you begin to run you're probably going to experience sore muscles. Even after running becomes easy, you're still going to experience sore muscles from time to time. People get sore muscles for three reasons:
- They are not used to exercising.
- They are used to a different exercise.
- They push their regular exercise too hard.
Scientists say soreness starts as a result of tiny tears in the muscle fibers, similar to a paper cut on your finger. (It hurts, but you can still use the finger.) What happens next is that the body's defense mechanism kicks in, white cells come to the rescue, fluid moves into spaces it normally doesn't occupy, resulting in swelling. This swelling nudges the nerve endings, causing soreness. It also contributes to stiffness in the muscles, partially immobilizing them. Swelling and soreness often peak 48 hours after exercise, one reason why your muscles hurt more the second day.
To relieve the pain of sore muscles, first use ice to reduce swelling. Heat, once pain has peaked, helps speed recovery by improving circulation. Massage and pain-relieving rubs may help. But if you want to become a runner, you may need to accept some soreness as a natural part of the conditioning process.
After your muscles recover, they actually should be stronger. Tearing and repairing is what gets you in shape and allows you eventually to run further and faster. One way to avoid sore muscles is not to do too much too soon. That's why coaches recommend that people new to running begin slowly.