Having done a more intense training than usual to return to the sport after a break involves, on many occasions, the appearance of the annoying and uncomfortable stiffness. "It is something relatively normal, although it is not desirable that this happens systematically; if this happens, we are doing something wrong," warns Iker Muñoz, Sports Director of Runnea. Running with stiffness, yes or no? or What to do to avoid stiffness after running, are some of the questions we will try to answer in this article.
Betting on a correct nutritional strategy, placing valor on active recovery or training in a systematic but supervised way, may be some of the keys to avoid the appearance of stiffness, however, "there is no infallible remedy, there are no miracles and even less so in training", warns Iker Muñoz. We sought the advice of our Sports Director and asked him the following questions about running with stiffness or how to prevent its appearance, don't lose detail!
What are stiffness and what causes it?
Stiffness or DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscular Soreness) are micro-tears in the sarcomeres that cause muscle soreness or stiffness hours after a session. In other words, they are damage to the muscle fibers generated by subjecting our muscles to a tension they are not prepared for.
Therefore, after a break or after having done a more intense training than normal, they usually appear. It is something relatively normal, although it is not desirable that this happens systematically, if this happens we are doing something wrong.
Running with stiffness, yes or no?
Depending on the degree of pain , it may be appropriate or counterproductive. Stiffness is micro-tears. Therefore, it means that there is muscle damage, and this must be repaired. If the stiffness is not incapacitating, we can go for a gentle jog or do any other type of exercise (at low intensity) that allows the damaged muscles to move. In this way more blood will reach the fibers and the recovery process will be faster.
The activity to be performed should be of low intensity and continuous, avoiding changes of direction and moderate-high intensities.
- You may be interested in: How to recover your running workout routine after a break
What can you do to avoid stiffness after running?
There is nothing we can do to prevent them if the training stimulus has been high and our muscles were not trained for it.
- There is no remedy to eliminate them (sugar water, stretching, etc.), although it is true that trying to lower (in a natural way) the temperature of the affected area can help to minimize this inflammatory process.
How to make stiffness disappear quickly?
There are no miracles and even less so in training. We can help ourselves with a correct nutritional strategy, active recovery and above all training in a systematic but supervised way. This last point will not eliminate stiffness quickly, but it will help to prevent it from appearing so often due to poor training control.
What is the best for stiffness? Prevention and treatment
There is no infallible remedy, only systematic and controlled work by a professional, for example, a physical trainer.
Remedies that promise you improvements or the total disappearance of stiffness will not be effective, since this pain is the result of an inflammatory process and as such needs a reasonable time for the affected area to recover.
In the article'Warming up, cooling down and stretching in runners: When, how and what for?', we analyzed the importance of including a warm-up time to help us activate. A key period to prepare our muscles before physical activity and prevent, to some extent, the appearance of the dreaded stiffness. Something similar happens with the cooling phase, which will allow us to recover more quickly from the effort.
How long does it take for stiffness to disappear?
This is highly variable, ranging from a few hours to a few days. This will depend on the magnitude of the stimulus that we have given to our body and how trained we are. The greater the degree of training, the shorter the duration of DOMS.
What can I take for stiffness pain?
More than taking I would say what can I do. Food, active recovery, rest and a correct training program. Basically, these are the pillars to ensure a speedy recovery.
An individualized running training plan will be necessary even if you don't have a competitive goal in mind. In other words, individualizing your workouts, your exercise routines and adapting them to your needs and characteristics will be key to progress, improve and grow as an athlete. If we put on Running shoes and run for 30 minutes straight, without any prior preparation, we run the serious risk of injury and suffer uncomfortable and painful stiffness, hence the importance of training in a systematic and targeted manner.
Stiffness: prevention is better than cure
Depending on the degree of pain, it may be appropriate or counterproductive to run with stiffness. If the stiffness is not incapacitating, we can opt for low-intensity activity but no changes of direction or moderate-high intensities. It is important to point out, once again, that stiffness is a micro-tears and that, therefore, there is muscle damage that must be repaired. They usually appear after a more intense training than usual or after a long break from physical activity; however, if this occurs regularly, it is a sign that we are not doing something right.
In short, to avoid the onset of stiffness, the best thing to do is to focus on prevention, i.e., to opt for a correct nutritional strategy, to valor active recovery and to train in an individualized and targeted manner, among other things.
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