Soreness Reducing Dynamic Stretches
Almost everyone who’s started an exercise program can tell you about how sore their muscles felt a day or two following their workout. Fitness professionals call exercise-related soreness delayed onset muscle soreness, commonly abbreviated to DOMS. DOMS might catch you by surprise because you feel fine the day you worked out, but very stiff and sore 24 hours later.
DOMS is an entirely normal body response to exercise and can last from 48- 72 hours. Doing a workout that you haven’t tried before is most likely to cause muscle soreness. You might also experience DOMS when you do workouts with lots of sets and reps or strengthening exercises that stretch your muscle tissue, like deadlifts or push-ups. If you find that DOMS is mild and goes away in two-to-three days, this can be a sign you’re recovering well from your workouts. If you’re often sore for longer than three days and you feel fatigued going into your next workout, consider scaling back until you feel recovered.
Staying on top of your hydration levels and nourishing your body with nutrient-dense foods is vital for a speedy recovery. Light activity and dynamic stretches can also help speed up the recovery process! Try the lower-body dynamic stretching routine below when your muscles feel stiff, or hips feel tight. This routine also works as a warm-up before runs or lower-body-focused workouts.
Hip Flexors
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Hamstrings
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Hip Abductors (Outer Hip)
With a straight leg, step back to the side while you bend at your hips and reach for the ground. Do five times on each leg. |
Hip Adductors
Step into a side lunge and sink until you feel a stretch in your inner thigh. Avoid bending your straight leg and push through your feet when returning to the starting position. Extend your arms in front of you to help with balance. Do five times on each leg. |
Squat-to-Stand
Bend over and grab onto your feet. Drop into a squat, push your knees out, stand up, and repeat. Do five squat-to-stands. |
