Is it better to rest or exercise if your muscles ache?

Question

I've gone from couch potato to exercise fiend in the last 3 weeks. Have been going to about 11 classes each week. Am sore today but am booked in for a body conditioning class in an hr. don't want to do myself harm. Should i rest or persist? any personal trainers out there?

Answer 1

You are doing to many classes per week and over working lazy muscles!
Cut you classes down to 5 a week, but keep doing gentle stretches in between!

Answer 2

Well, aren't you just the gym bunny.

It's absolutely fantastic that you're now excercising but, like all the other answerers say, you're doing WAY too much for a relative beginner.

Delayed onset muscle soreness (coming on 24 to 48 hours after exercising) is good pain becaue it means your muscles are growing and adapting and growing stronger. However, DON'T exercise the sore body part part until that soreness subsides. Burning during exercise is also OK and it's good to work through that feeling. ALL OTHER PAIN, DURING AND AFTER EXERCISE, IS BAD and indicates an injury of some sort.

Three times a week is ample for a beginner, mixed cardiovascular exercise and weight training. When you get more advanced, you can start to consider more days and doing a split routine for your weights (different body parts on different days). And don't be afraid of weights. As a woman, you will not bulk up, you'll tone up. Anything sagging will sag less! Muscle tissue, even at rest burns fat, so a little more muscle eventually results in less fat.

Keep up the good work but don't overdo it.

Brian

E-mail me if you want further advice (from a fellow Londoner)

Answer 3

True what the others are saying. Your exercise program is too much. Muscles need to rest. If you are in great pain and it constricts you of doing your daily chores, be careful that you haven't hurt joints or ligaments. Stretching is very important. Before and after exercise. I know it's a pain, but you have to do it. Try and do only one good class per day and different exercises each day. Eg. day 1 running, day 2 weight training, day 3 pilates. Cardio exercises are very important for weight loss. Even on the day you do weights, also do about 5 min of running. On my off days I still do a bit of gentle stretching. But very gentle.

Also, rather do less exercises than the wrong exercises(type & technique). Great that you got off the couch, but make sure you don't have to go back there with injuries.

Happy exercising!

Answer 4

First of all, WHY are you doing 11 classes in one week? My suggestion to you is to work out 3-5 times a week and switch it up with cardio, treadmill, classes, mind & body (yoga pilates), cycling to keep it fun/not boring. Your muscles ache because you are overworking them. You need to definitely chill out with all that exercising. Just do like one hour of exercise a couple times a week and REST UP!

Answer 5

I think that when your muscle's start hurting you-rest is needed. I am not a personal trainer. I do believe your body would be healthier if you cut down on your exercise until your body gets used to the extra activity.

Answer 6

After a strenuous workout, ease yourself back down by doing some gentle exercise around the place where it hurts. Example: if your legs ache a bit, go on the cycling machine, if your arms ache, stretch them to the sides & gently circle them round til the pain goes down. Never go into something suddenly & never stop something suddenly. You'll do yourself more harm than good.

Answer 7

you are dong way too much!!!!
exercise should be take on one day, followed by a day of rest to allow the muscles to recover. if you are in pain, then you've def done too much. you should be able to feel like your mucles have been working, but not be unable to use them!
on the days between exercise do gentle stretches to loosen the muscles again, and maybe try a sauna after your classes.

Answer 8

Yeah u should stop u should only work at 80 per cent of ur bodys max limit an u should not wotk out ev nite cos wen u r wrkn out ur muscles tear an so in order for them to heal an become bigger they need rest to heal

Answer 9

After an anorobic or a strenous arobic activity its good to do a tred mill or a bike for 15min to let the lactic acid circulate out of the muscles. If it was weight lifting beter wait a day or so.

Answer 10

You need to take it slow and easy. Your muscles will continue to hurt if you do not give them a rest. I would cut down to about 3 classes each week and slowly progress from there.