If you have ever eased yourself down the stairs sideways two days after a workout, wincing with every step, you know exactly how discouraging delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) can be.
You finally found the motivation to exercise, and now your body seems to be punishing you for it. It’s a frustrating place to be, and it is one of the most common reasons people give up on a new routine.
The good news is that severe soreness is not the price of getting fitter. In most cases, delayed-onset muscle soreness may be reduced by gradually building up your training, warming up, cooling down, and allowing your muscles proper recovery between sessions.
At Glen Eira Physio, we see people every week who thought soreness was just something to push through. Here is what may actually help.
Preventing Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) in Summary
- Delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is muscle pain and stiffness that appear 12 to 24 hours after exercise.
- Soreness is not a sign of a good workout.
- The most reliable way to help prevent DOMS is to gradually progress.
- Warming up before exercise, cooling down afterwards, and supporting recovery with sleep, hydration, and protein may all help reduce soreness.
- DOMS typically improves within days, while sharp, sudden, or one-sided pain that worsens may indicate an injury that needs assessment.
- If soreness is severe, recurs after every session, or lasts longer than a week, a physiotherapist may help assess your load, technique, and program.
What is Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness?
Delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is muscle pain and stiffness that develop after exercise rather than during it. It typically begins one to three days after a workout and most often follows a new activity or a session more intense than you are used to.
If this keeps happening to you, please know that it does not mean you are unfit or that you are doing everything wrong. The soreness comes from microscopic changes in muscle fibres, which your body repairs and rebuilds as part of getting stronger.
Exercises where a muscle lengthens under load, such as lowering a weight, running downhill, or walking down stairs, are the most common triggers.
A little soreness when you try something new is normal. Being wiped out after every session is not necessary for progress, and there is a lot you can do about it.
How to Prevent Soreness From Exercise
The most reliable way to help prevent exercise soreness is to give your body time to adapt. Sudden jumps in intensity, load, or volume are what tend to produce severe DOMS. A gradual, structured approach lets you build strength with far less discomfort along the way.
Progress Your Training Gradually
We understand the urge to make up for lost time, but that enthusiasm is often exactly what leads to days of soreness. Try to:
- Increase your weekly training load by roughly 10 per cent at a time, not by 50 per cent.
- Start new exercises with lighter weights and fewer sets than you think you can manage.
- Ease back in after a break rather than resuming at your previous level.
- Introduce eccentric-heavy activities, like downhill running or slow lowering phases, in small doses.
Our physiotherapy team in Carnegie and Murrumbeena may help build a program around your goals, with assessments providing objective insights to help set sensible starting loads.
Warm up Before and Cool Down After Exercise
A proper warm-up prepares your muscles for the load, and a cool-down helps you transition out of it. Aim for five to ten minutes of light aerobic activity plus dynamic movements for the muscle groups you are about to train, and wind down with gentle movement rather than stopping abruptly.
Support Recovery Between Sessions
Recovery is where your body adapts, and rest is part of training, not a failure of willpower. Keep sore muscle groups to lighter work for a day or two, stay hydrated, prioritise sleep, and eat enough protein to support muscle repair.
‘If your body is asking for a lighter day, that’s not weakness, it’s information. Learning to listen to it is one of the most valuable skills we can teach anyone who wants to stay active for life.’
– Jodi Hendler, principal physiotherapist and director of Glen Eira Physiotherapy
How to Tell DOMS Apart From an Exercise Injury
Learning the difference between DOMS and an injury may help you avoid exercise injuries being aggravated by continued training. The table below sets out the typical differences.
| Typical DOMS | Possible Injury | |
|---|---|---|
| When Pain Starts | 12 to 24 hours after exercise | Suddenly, during a specific movement |
| Type of Pain | Dull, tender, general ache | Sharp, stabbing, or localised pain |
| Location | Both sides, in the muscle belly | Often one side, or in or around a joint |
| Pattern Over Time | Steadily improves within days | Worsens or stays the same beyond about three days |
If your symptoms sit in the right-hand column, please do not push through and hope for the best. Training on an unassessed strain is one of the most common ways a small problem can turn into a big one.
When to See a Physiotherapist About Muscle Soreness
Consider seeing a physiotherapist if soreness is severe, keeps recurring after every session, or has not eased within a few days.
Persistent or unusual soreness can be a sign of load management issues, technique habits, or an underlying injury that deserves proper assessment rather than more pushing through.
You do not need to wait until something goes wrong. At Glen Eira Physio, our physiotherapists take the time to understand your history, assess how you move, and work with you to adjust your program.
If an injury may be contributing to your pain, our sports injury treatment Carnegie service may help support your return to activity.
Common DOMS Questions Answered
DOMS usually peaks between 24 and 72 hours after exercise and settles within about five to seven days. Soreness lasting longer than a week, or getting worse over time, is worth having assessed by a physiotherapist.
Yes, gentle exercise is generally encouraged and may ease stiffness. Choose low-intensity activity or train muscle groups that are not sore, and hold off on another heavy session for the affected muscles until the soreness settles.
Cold water immersion may take the edge off soreness for some people, but the evidence is mixed, and it does not address the training habits that cause DOMS in the first place. Gradual progression remains the best approach for most people.
No. Soreness only shows that your muscles did something unfamiliar, not that the session was good. You may build strength and fitness consistently with little or no DOMS, so please do not measure your progress by how much you hurt.
Static stretching on its own appears to have little effect on preventing DOMS. Stretching is still useful for flexibility and as part of a broader warm-up and cool-down routine, which may modestly reduce post-exercise soreness.
Train Consistently Without the Setbacks
If soreness keeps interrupting your training, that is not a sign you are not cut out for exercise. It is usually a sign your program needs adjusting, and that is something we may work on together.
Book a physiotherapy appointment with Glen Eira Physiotherapy in Carnegie, and we will help you develop a plan to build your strength week to week while keeping DOMS manageable.
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This content is provided for general information purposes only and is not a substitute for personalised professional advice. Individual needs and conditions vary. Please consult a qualified practitioner to discuss a treatment plan suited to your situation.
