SHOULD YOU WORK OUT WITH DOMS?

We’ve all been there. You smash a session and the next morning you wake up feeling like your legs have been through a shredder. Sitting down hurts. Standing up hurts. And walking? Feels like a workout in itself. Welcome to the world of DOMS: Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness.

The million-pound question: Should you work out when you’re sore?

What Actually Is DOMS?

DOMS kicks in about 12-48 hours after an intense workout, especially if you’ve pushed your muscles harder or tried something new. It’s your body’s way of adapting to the stress those tiny micro-tears in your muscle fibres are rebuilding stronger. The ache feels like your body fighting back, right? It’s actually a sign that it’s levelling up and nothing a 45-minute Reset can’t help. 

Train Or Rest?

The short answer: Listen to your body.

If your soreness is mild, like a tightness or a dull ache, it’s fine (and even beneficial) to move. But keep it low-impact. We’d opt for walking, swimming or Reformer in this case. Or if it’s your legs that are really feeling the burn, we’d recommend an upper-body focus day to boost blood flow, speed up recovery, and ease that stiffness.

Active Recovery

Always listen to your body. If you feel like you shouldn’t push through the pain, then don’t. If you’re experiencing sharp pains, serious fatigue, or limited range of motion, take the hint. Focus on active recovery: rest, stretch, and hydrate. For extra TLC, why not visit Reset? It’s our hot-to-cold contrast therapy and it’s great for reducing muscle soreness and inflammation.  

Overtraining when your muscles aren’t ready won’t make you stronger; it just slows your progress and ups your risk of serious injury. 

Nutrition & Hydration 

Fueling your body properly is just as important as your workouts. Eating a balanced diet with enough protein, carbs, and healthy fats, and staying hydrated, helps your muscles recover faster and keeps your energy levels up for the next session

The Bottom Line

DOMS means you’ve challenged your body, and that’s exactly what we encourage our Rebels to do. But remember to train smart, not just hard. So next time your quads scream after a killer session, ask yourself: am I sore or am I hurting? If it’s just DOMS, move mindfully. If it’s pain, rest and reload.