When you’re working out, it’s obvious you will get sore muscles. Your muscles are generally more sore when you take a big break or you have never worked out before. It’s also easy to stop working out at the first sign of sore muscles. I’ve been guilty of doing this in the past, and I was close to not working out today.

Usually, you get what’s called delayed onset muscle soreness aka DOMS. This usually happens a day or two after a workout, and it’s when they are at the sorest point. My workout on Monday caused me to have DOMS which I really felt today.

I woke up and had second thoughts in going because of my soreness. However, I decided I will go to CrossFit, and I will force my muscle to work. Embracing the soreness can actually help create less soreness. While deciding not to work out due to sore muscles can actually make it worse. When I turned up to my workout, my coach said something similar. It is best to embrace as long as your body is able to complete full range of motion. If your muscle can’t complete the full range, then it’s definitely best to rest until you can.

People say the best form of recovery is rest. While this is true, it can also be false. You need to listen to your body, and ensure you don’t push it too hard. Especially if you’re trying to build a foundation for muscle growth and cardio build up. Sometimes your mind wants to rest more than your body, and when that happens, you need to push your mind. Push it and make sure it takes you to that workout so you can become a stronger person.