Depressed by Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (a.k.a. DOMS)?

Every cell combining, a symphony of screams active in chaotic reactivity. The hour has come during the night when the biological body is alive, fighting a war against itself; it strives for fuel and building blocks. More ammunition is required... then more. The battle is eventually won at some stage through the night; then, at last, we could sleep!

This is a process of biological adaptation, and so is DOMS: the process of the body dealing with and repairing itself (and millions of muscular micro-tears) after having been afflicted ‘in war’ at the tissue level.

Many people become discouraged when they enthusiastically enter a gym only to discover a day later ‘the soreness of growth’ that comes with the new found vigour for life. It’s generally a very temporary thing. And the soreness is generally a positive sign. It can mean our body is reacting well to our workouts. Of course, if the workout was a little too strenuous for us, DOMS is a feedback mechanism to not go so hard next time.

When we lie in bed aching from head to toe and on our way to Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness the next day or day following, we best remember what we’re doing all this for; it’s a vision of ourselves as healthy, fit, flexible, virile, lithe, strong and powerful.

It’s the vision of ourselves as maintaining responsibly the tent of a body we have during our very temporary existence. We look around us and there are oodles of examples of people who have cast their bodies into the deep, having given up a long shot ago. And what do they have, as they munch on their Big Mac, that we don’t? Do they seem happy??

And this is one very real reason why we ought not to let our minds trick us that DOMS is not worth it. For everything we sow, we will reap. Faith is required. Don’t give up now.

Copyright © 2009, S. J. Wickham. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.