One of the BIG questions I get asked a lot is:

“Why is it that as I get older, the aches and pains I get after exercise, seem to get worse and last longer?”

Now, you can consider this advice helpful whether you like to play golf, bowl, walk with friends or cycle. Because the “phenomenon” of suffering post exercise soreness happens no matter what you love to do.

And you know what?

Even a day spent at the beach or in the mountains can leave you feeling just as sore the next day, so it pays to know a little bit about it.

So, why does next day soreness happen? Well, let’s say you’re aged 50… and if that’s the case, every day that you wake up now you’re body is a little stiffer and tighter and leaves you a little more achy.

Not that you’ll actually notice this, but a normal part of the aging process is that your muscles are getting tighter to the point that they are almost at a full stretch.

Yes…the days when your muscles were elastic and flexible and you could stretch and move around free from any restrictions or tightness are slowly slipping away.

Think of it like this: if you kept on pulling an elastic band, it would stretch with you – at first. But then, what would happen is the elastic band would begin to “fray”. And when it begins to fray, it’s just become weaker. And it’s not going to be long before the band snaps.

Now, when you first get going with any type of activity – be it running, gardening or even starting off a day doing some DIY, these muscles in your body DO NOT want to be moved.

They’re ever so tight and unless you spend 20 minutes or so warming them up, then you’re essentially pulling the elastic band too tight and these muscles will fray too.

And then what happens is this: because the muscles begin to fray, your body has to repair it. And it does that by putting down a type of “glue” (which is called scar tissue). And it’s this glue which makes you feel even MORE stiffer and tighter the next day.

So, when you wake up the next day after a full day of activity, you feel so “stiff” because of these muscles having been damaged by being pulled and stretched further than they should, for too long.

And that’s why so many people who have done something as “simple” as spend a day in the garden – will still be struggling to get down the stairs days later.

So, to stop always feeling like this, here are a couple of quick tips:

Stretch regularly. Mornings in the shower when the water is warm is an easy time to do it and sets up for the day nicely, and if you wanted to be really diligent and health conscious… sitting in an ice bath at the end of a physical day is the best way to stop your body from taking two days to recover (from a day spent in the garden). Hope this helps.