Red Flags That You’re Injured After A Workout And Not Just Sore

Muscle soreness after a hard workout is your body’s natural reaction to exercise. In fact, “a little bit of swelling is part of the body’s way of signaling to rebuild itself,” he said. Aimee Laytonassistant professor of applied physiology at Columbia University and a member of the Peloton Health and Wellness Advisory Council.

But the pain is not normal; instead, it may be a sign of injury — and a signal to rest and let your body heal.

“It’sIt’s important not to ignore your body when it indicates pain,” Layton said. “There’s a reason pain receptors exist.”

A little soreness when you’re building muscle, which is fine, is quite different from a sharp pain “that you shouldn’t force,” he added.

How exactly can you tell the difference? Experts told HuffPost about the signs of injury after a workout and what to do about it.

A red flag swells around a joint after a workout, according to Dr Michael Fredericsonsports medicine physician at Stanford Health Care.

Any stiffness around the joints in the knees, hips, ankles or lower back is also a concern, he said, adding that stightness around a muscle that you exercised is normal.

You should be aware of whether joint or muscle stiffness ever “impairs your ability to walk,” Fredericson said. If that is the case, you should contact your doctor.

“The pain usually appears in one or two days perAfter training,” Layton said. Injuries, on the other hand, are much more immediate.

“The pain of an injury usually occurs during training” or immediately afterward, he added.

You may notice that a muscle hurts once you stop using it, for example. Cases where he may feel pain right away include taking a wrong step while running or overexerting his shoulder while lifting weights.

No matter how much you warm up or stretch, an injury won’t be any less painful, Layton said.

Doing forward bends won’t make a hamstring pull feel any better, for example. Instead, you’ll probably feel worse as it heats up. — and you will definitely feel worse if you try to exercise.

But when you’re just dealing with pain rather than injury, a prolonged warm-up will make the muscle feel better as it gets it moving, Layton said.

If you notice a minor injury, “the typical rThe recommendation is the RICE method,” or use rest, ice, compression and elevation, Fredericson said. This approach is most helpful within two days of an injury, particularly if swelling is present, he added.

To minimize any swelling in the first 24 to 48 hours, you’ll want to compress the injured area and elevate it above the level of your heart. This “can be helpful in draining the fluid,” Fredericson said.

If you’re well past the 48-hour mark or the RICE method hasn’t relieved pain when you exercise, you may need to see a doctor, Layton said. The RICE method is still helpful, but you can combine it with additional treatment from your doctor or a sports performance center, she added.

You are probably aware of the benefits of a good warm-up and cool down when exercising A warm-up prepares your body for a workout, while a cool-down lowers your heart rate afterwards.

Both decrease the risk of injury and severe pain after strenuous exercise. You should warm up your body and cool it down before and after each workout, Fredericson stressed.

“You don’t want to just jump into vigorous exercise,” he said. Instead, start with easy moves like jogging or jumping rope.

You can end a workout with the so-called dynamic stretch — referring to leg swings and other quick stretches — as well as static stretches, which involve holding a position for 20 seconds or more.

But you shouldn’t do static stretching before a workout, Fredericson said. Instead, save this for after you work out.

If you want to take your post-exercise recovery to the next level, sports massages or deep-tissue massages can help, Fredericson said.

Another option is to use a foam roller. When combined with stretching, “that’s a way to do your own deep-tissue massage,” Fredericson said.

Theragun devices and similar tools can also help massage sore muscles, he added.

Everyone has a “biological envelope,” or the limit of activity that a person’s body can handle, Fredericson said. Much of preventing injuries and promoting a healthy exercise routine has to do with “knowing your body and understanding what your body can tolerate,” she said.

If your body can’t adjust to a certain type of exercise, it’s more likely to lead to joint inflammation or deeper muscle pain, he said.

Most people instinctively know the difference between pain and pain-related discomfort, Layton added.

“There’s a level of discomfort when we exercise that’s normal,” he said, like running that extra 15 seconds to build endurance or sometimes just committing to a training day. But pain is very different and you should not ignore it.