12 Vim & Vigour • WINTER <strong>2010</strong>
photography by blend images use the “talk test” to keep tabs on how hard you work out. The kicker is that while you’re running, biking or lifting, you’ll probably feel great. It’s that next morning—or even two mornings later—when you wake up and wonder why everything hurts. That not-so-pleasant phenomenon is called DOMS: delayed-onset muscle soreness, says Ben Greenfield, a sports science and exercise physiologist and author of Run with No Pain and several other training books. This type of exercise-related muscle soreness, according to Greenfield, usually sets in 24 to 48 hours after your workout, and will start to feel better around the 72-hour mark. The microtears you’re creating in your muscles lead to inflammation, and that’s what brings on the DOMS-related tenderness, soreness and tightness. “When you’re new to exercise, the difference between good sore and bad sore can be a muddy, grey area,” Becker says. “DOMS is a normal part of post-exercise recovery. You’ve traumatized the muscle tissue and now it’s growing and repairing and getting stronger.” Get Moving, Get Fit While You Work out while you can’t escape some post-workout soreness, there are strategies that will keep it to a minimum and help you recover more quickly. First things first: <strong>St</strong>art with a good warm-up. “Warm muscle has a greater degree of elasticity,” Greenfield explains. “It’s just like a rubber band. If you try to stretch one when it’s cold, it snaps much easier. Same with muscle; when it’s warm, it tends to tear less.” Post-workout pain is often the result of doing too much too soon. <strong>St</strong>art slow and watch your level of intensity. Try using the “talk test,” to keep tabs on how hard you work out. If you’re aiming for a low- to moderate-intensity workout, you should be able to carry on a conversation while exercising. Massaro recommends starting with squats and other simple body-weight movements, and focusing on your form, posture and alignment by watching yourself in a mirror. For example, watch to make sure you keep your hands evenly spaced on weight-lifting machines and barbells. “Doing too much and doing it wrong are two perfect ways to get hurt,” he says. As a bookend to your workout, be sure to leave time for a proper cool-down. “When you’re done working a specific muscle group, be sure to stretch that muscle to elongate it,” Massaro says. At <strong>St</strong> Joseph’s <strong>Health</strong> <strong>Care</strong>, <strong>London</strong>, many opportunities are provided to staff to help them lead a healthy lifestyle. For example, <strong>St</strong>. Joseph’s enjoys a unique relationship with The Athletic Club in <strong>London</strong>. Through this partnership, staff have been able to participate in on-site fitness classes, engage in lunch-and-learn sessions that encourage a variety of lifestyle and behavioural changes, and use The Athletic Club facilities for free on weekends. The Athletic Club has also supported the <strong>St</strong>. Joseph’s corporate walking challenge, providing personal trainer sessions as prizes to three lucky participants. The physical transformation of the winners has been dramatic and has inspired many others across <strong>St</strong>. Joseph’s to begin their own healthy lifestyle journey. Vim & Vigour • WINTER <strong>2010</strong> 13
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