fbpx Skip to main content
Category

Uncategorized

How Sore is Too Sore, and what is DOMS?

By Uncategorized

I LOVE feeling sore after a workout. It makes me feel like I accomplished something in my body and am progressing toward my goals. But how sore is TOO sore?

If you’re so sore the day or two after a workout that it hurts to move, keeps you from being active, or hinders your daily activities, you are getting too sore!

If it takes you a week to recover after your workout, it is actually counterproductive to your goals. Studies have shown that muscle soreness does NOT equal muscle growth! And being too sore is a main trigger to fall off your fitness routine. If it hurts, typically we won’t do it!

You’ll hear me say a zillion times, “it’s a partnership, not a punishment.” If your military-style bootcamp or WOD has you feeling wrecked, or if you’ve taken so much time off that the thought of walking into your current gym to pick up where you left off causes anxiety, there IS a better way to approach fitness! This is one of the reasons why Flex programming is for every body, all levels, but it’s still up to you to listen to your body when you’re training with us and do what’s right for you. Newbies to fitness can and should ease into a training program with gradually increasing intensity, but still get all the motivation and inspiration from being in the room with other participants who have been there.

Our instructors are experienced fitness professionals who tailor every single workout to YOU, your body and your goals. How many box gyms adjust their workout plan based on who comes to class? Absolutely zero. This is STANDARD procedure at Flex.

We take the time to ask about injuries, aches and pains, and really get to KNOW who we are working with, so that YOU never feel like you’re in a workout that is absolutely inappropriate for your UNIQUE body. We lead with love, and will give you all of the encouragement and none of the “high school gym-teacher/bully” vibe.

Remember, if you’re new to fitness or coming back after a long time off, you’re going to be a little more sore than usual. This special type of soreness is what we fitpros call DOMS, or Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. It’s caused by any type of activity that places load on your muscles that the muscles are not used to.

This type of soreness lessens as you get used to a fitness program or a new routine, and you can experience it again when you level up to heavier weights, longer workouts, increased volume or increased intensity. Things you can do to deal with DOMS:

warm baths

massage or massage gun

foam rolling or myofascial release balls

liniment or muscle rubs

extra protein in your diet, especially supplementing with BCAAs (branched chain amino acids)

extra sleep

And above all, moving! DOMS can be alleviated by light walking, stretching, and moving your body. It’s caused by microtears in the muscle, and is considered a low level (level 1) muscle strain, so helping to move blood and fluid out of the muscles with movement can make the soreness go away faster. DOMS soreness peaks about 72 hours after exercise, so if you find yourself more sore on day 2 or 3 post-workout, there’s a good chance you are experiencing DOMS!

 

Who Doesn’t Love a Good Flash Sale?

By Announcement, Newsletter, Uncategorized

We miss you! We hope you are staying healthy and calm, and actively taking steps toward wellness. While Flex’s usual facilities may be off limits right now, we’ve still a lot of encouragement for you! Try and move your body every day even if for just a short walk or a quick morning stretch session. Although it may be stormy this weekend, it looks like spring is truly here next week with some really nice sunny and warm days, so we’re going to suggest some time outside in the sun (still following social distancing measures, of course). It can also help to practice mindful eating, really being aware of what you are giving your body, and trying to make food choices that nourish rather than just placate. Set aside a few minutes at the end of your day to meditate or write in a gratitude journal. There is still so much to be thankful for, and sometimes it takes just a small shift in awareness to notice. Take notice of your emotional state, try not to judge yourself and be compassionate towards yourself (and others), and accept that you may go through emotions of frustration, anxiety, or grief. We – and your fellow FlexFam – are here for you, we love you, and we promise we are doing whatever it takes to reopen stronger and better than ever. We can’t wait to be FLEXing our limits in our usual style!

Until then, we’ve been getting a really positive response to our Flex ONLINE program of virtual classes. In order to encourage everyone to try our online offerings, we are running a flash sale promotion through Sunday 3/29. For more details on the sale and other virtual events, please click here.

Flex with Heart 2/9

By Announcement, Blog, Event, Uncategorized

Join us Sunday morning, February 9th, for a charity event that benefits the American Heart Association. We are hosting a bake sale with treats (healthy and not-so-healthy, baked lovingly by our staff and instructors) in the lobby. We’ll also have Angie Scott, the CPR educator that just recertified your Flex staff in CPR/First Aid/AED training, out with a table in front showing people how to do chest compressions on a CPR mannequin for free. It takes just a few minutes to learn and can be the critical difference between life and death in an emergency situation. Finally, the barre class at 10AM is donation based and all levels; $20 donation gets you class, $30 gets you class and a Flex with Heart shirt.

9-11:15 Bake sale

8:45-10:15 Walk-by CPR instruction

10 Donation barre class

Sign up

 

 

TRfleX and Flow Combo Class 2/5

By Blog, Event, Uncategorized, Workshop

Join Lisa and Erika for a 90-minute offering that combines the luscious stretching and spaciousness of yoga with the challenging bodyweight exercises of TRX. Lisa will lead the class through a yoga beginning and ending, while Erika will pick it up with TRX in the middle for a truly amazing combo class that will leave your body feeling strong, stretched, and amazing! Class is 5:30-7PM. Sign up here.