For most of us, muscle soreness is the sign of hard training. While tight, stiff muscles aren't the only (or most important) way of knowing you've worked hard, it can mean a job well done. But no one wants to be sore for days on end, right? And much less in the abs. Therefore, it is important to know how to prevent abdominal pain when exerting yourself.
In general, post-workout abdominal pain is normal, especially if you've tried a new workout or increased your exercise frequency. If your pain persists after a few days and some recovery stretching, you should see a health professional.
Causes
Sometimes it is new to have pain in the abdomen area. If you are a beginner, this will sound familiar to the rest of the body parts. But if you have only had stiffness from laughing, then you will discover other reasons that cause discomfort in the rectus abdominis.
try a new exercise
If you feel some pain in your abs after a workout, you're likely experiencing delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS).
Muscle soreness is a normal and healthy reaction to intense exercise and usually occurs between 24 and 48 hours after your training. When you exercise, your muscles get a micro tear, which can sometimes cause pain or DOMS. However, within 72 hours, your body should have repaired most of the damage and the pain will probably fade.
Tearing in muscle fibers can occur for a variety of reasons, but one of the big culprits is new exercises. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced athlete, your muscles are stressed when you move your body in an unfamiliar pattern. That is why many times we feel abdominal pain when making a specific effort.
Increase exercise level
Along with unfamiliar exercise, you may feel sore if you train at a higher intensity or longer duration than usual. Or you may feel additional pain if you start exercising more often.
Again, your muscles react well to new stimuli or variables, including crunches. If your routine doesn't involve any new exercises but you've increased the intensity, duration, or frequency, don't be surprised if you feel a little sore over the next few days.
Not drinking enough water
You probably know that you lose fluids through sweat during a workout. But thirst isn't the only sign that you're not well hydrated. If you're experiencing abdominal cramps and cramping during or after a workout, you may not be drinking enough water.
A good way to gauge whether you are drinking enough water is by observing the color of your urine. Ideally, the urine should be straw or lemonade colored. Dark yellow urine means you need to increase your water intake.
Exercising for long periods or in warmer temperatures can increase your rate of fluid loss. You'll also want to watch out for non-visible perspiration, as you may experience while swimming or skiing. If that is your case, adjust your water consumption accordingly.
Eating close to training
Gastrointestinal problems, such as diarrhea or gas, are common during or after exercise, especially for endurance athletes. Often abdominal swelling or pain is also a symptom of these conditions.
Each person's body reacts differently to eating before exercise, but in general, you'll want to avoid foods that are high in fiber or foods that produce gas, such as beans, bran, fruits, or leafy green vegetables. Several hours before your workout, limit your caffeine intake and drink plenty of fluids as well.
not getting enough rest
Like any other muscle in the body, the abs do not grow while we exercise. They do this during the healing process. In fact, what really happens when we exercise the abs is that the muscles break down as they are pushed to the limit. Later that day or maybe even the next day, we will feel some pain; this is because the muscles try to heal themselves. As they heal, they grow a little larger than they were before. Thus, over time, the muscles become larger and more defined.
Unfortunately, if we never give our abs a chance to rest, we'll never see any noticeable gains. It is recommended to give the abdominals a rest and skip it if we notice pain the next day.
It's also worth noting that while you shouldn't overlook the importance of properly resting your abs, these muscles generally do not require as much rest as other body. That's because we use them daily for body and posture support, so they're a little more conditioned for working out. On the other hand, the same probably can't be said for your legs, glutes, and chest muscles, which is why they require a bit more rest between workouts.
Can you do crunches every day?
If we are new to training, starting an abdominal routine every day can cause pain. Rest is recommended to allow the body to adjust to muscular changes. When we train, the body generates micro-tears that require rest to avoid injuries and advance performance properly.
A muscle strain that results from doing crunches every day can be very annoying. They are classified as first-, second-, or third-degree strains, with the third involving a complete muscle tear; the more severe a strain, the greater the medical risks. Third-degree strains in the abdominal muscles can allow intestinal tissue to bulge out, causing a hernia. Athletic training, including crunches, is probably the culprit for abdominal strains if you are overweight or out of shape. Such stress would result in pain when coughing, sneezing, or using your abs.
But, just because crunches won't get rid of belly fat doesn't mean we should skip them when we feel ready. The abdominals are essential to strengthen your abdomen, something that is obvious. But the core is responsible for much more than those classic "six pack" abs that many strive for. A strong core can reduce back pain, improve balance, and increase flexibility. The core muscles also support the hips and pelvis. Also, a strong core will help us develop good posture.
So yes, you can do sit-ups every day, as long as we have a progressive adaptation over time. Although it may seem counterintuitive, a little movement is exactly what sore muscles need. Research shows that active recovery (gently moving your muscles) helps relieve post-exercise soreness, probably by stimulating circulation.
We can gently stretch the obliques by lying on our back, bringing our knees up toward our chest, and then gently dropping our legs from side to side. This calms the overloaded abs, with the hands resting on the floor on either side of the chest. We will slowly straighten our arms, lifting our head, shoulders and torso off the floor as comfortably as possible like an upward facing dog pose in yoga.
How to relieve pain?
If your abdominal muscles feel particularly tender a day or two after a heavy sweat session, there are some exercises and stretches you can try to ease the pain. We recommend that you gently roll a little foam roller over the sore area, stopping and releasing the most tense points in the muscles.
However, below we reveal the best techniques to relieve abdominal pain.
Apply heat (carefully)
If your muscles are still sore after 48 hours, try applying a little heat. This can stimulate blood flow to the muscles to relieve tension and help them feel better. Try a warm (not hot) towel or heating pad. But be careful. The heat comes with many red flags, such as burns and possible inflammation of the muscles.
Avoid direct contact with any heating device. You can also take a cold shower afterwards to numb the area temporarily.
apply compression
As cyclists, we talk a lot about compression socks, but the calves aren't the only hard-working muscles that appreciate a good squeeze from time to time.
Compression base layers, like compression shirts, can support sore muscles and improve circulation, so you feel better while your muscles heal.
Get an abdominal massage
You can relieve muscle tension, stimulate blood flow, and increase range of motion in joints. Plus it's a great mood lifter.
When your muscles ache, the best thing is a gentle massage. Choose one that uses light pressure, such as a Swedish massage that is better for recovery than a deep tissue massage. Or try tender point acupressure. In this case, a masseur applies pressure and holds it directly to the sensitive areas. You can also try self massagers like massage guns.
cobra pose
This Yoga pose is famous for helping to stretch the abdominals and reduce exertion pain. You don't need to apply a lot of pressure to feel the stretch. We just have to make sure to move the shoulders away from the ears so as not to overload the trapezius.
- Begin by lying on your stomach, with your hands under your shoulders and your legs extended behind you.
- Keeping your hips and lower body on the ground, press into your palms.
- Lift your torso off the floor and gently press your chest up and out to feel a stretch throughout your abdominal muscles.
- Hold here for several breaths and return to the ground. Repeat as necessary.
Seated Side Stretch
The seated lateral stretch allows you to lengthen your abdominal, hip, and thigh muscles while improving spinal flexibility. If we feel additional tension or discomfort in the core area, we should not exert ourselves when stretching and consider decreasing the range of motion. We don't have to do the full range of motion to benefit from stretching.
- We will sit upright on the floor with our legs apart.
- We will raise the arms out to the sides with the elbows bent and the fingers pointing up.
- We will contract the abdominal muscles and slowly bend to the right, bringing the right elbow towards the ground. We must not lean forward or turn. We should feel the stretch through the obliques.
- We will maintain this position for 15 to 30 seconds, then we will return to the starting position. We will repeat on the left side and hold for the same time.
Reclined Glute Bridge
This exercise can be performed without additional weight, on a mat or on the floor. It is a basic movement that will help stretch and relax the abdominal muscles. To do it correctly we must follow the following steps:
- Lie on your back. Bend your knees and place your feet just in front of your respective hip bones. The arms rest along the hips.
- Gently lift your hips into the air, creating a slope from your knees to your shoulders. Hold several breaths.
- Slowly lower to the ground and repeat two or three more times.
Fitball chest opening
This stretch promotes relaxation and gives the abdominals a full stretch. It also stretches the shoulders and chest. We will notice a wide opening in the entire central and upper part. We will avoid making quick or sudden movements while we stretch. This includes bouncing as we move on the ball and holding the stretch. During any type of stretching, it's important to only reach the point of tension. If we go beyond this, the risk of injury in the abdomen area increases.
- We will lie on our backs on an exercise ball. Your shoulder blades, neck, and head should be on top of the ball, with your back extended, feet flat on the floor, and knees bent to 90 degrees.
- We will begin the stretch by opening the arms and letting them fall to the side of the ball. We'll make sure to look up at the ceiling.
- We will maintain for 15 or 30 seconds.
cat-cow posture
The cat-cow stretch helps with mobility and flexibility of the abdominal muscles. It also helps stretch and strengthen the lower back.
- We will get on our knees and place our heads down while arching our backs, similar to how a cat does.
- We will extend the neck completely upwards and we will lower the belly completely downwards, stretching the abdominal muscles.
- We will maintain the position for 20 seconds, then we will return to the starting position.
- We will repeat 3 to 4 times.
Tips to avoid pain
It is important to know the origin of abdominal pain when we exercise. Once we have discovered it, we will be able to know how you can avoid the discomfort after training.
The most important thing is to analyze if the movement technique is the right one. Each abdominal exercise has a certain movement pattern that must be followed perfectly to avoid injury. Likewise, it is important to rest long enough to recover and for the muscles to get the necessary oxygen. If you do not rest between sets, it is more likely that performance will decrease and that the training result will not be as expected.
Moreover, drink water and eat balanced It will help reduce post-workout pain. Protein consumption helps muscles recover and build muscle fibers. However, it is also advisable to take carbohydrates to restore energy and blood sugar levels. Of course, hydration levels are also of paramount importance.
If we are not able to adopt changes after feeling muscle pain, it is advisable to go to a specialist in nutrition and sports training. Only the vision of an expert will help the pain in the abdominals to decrease.