How to Reduce Muscle Soreness After Exercise: 5 Beginner-Friendly Strategies

When you’re starting (or restarting) a fitness routine, soreness can catch you off guard. It’s not just uncomfortable—it can mess with your motivation, throw off your routine, and make you question if you’re doing something wrong. The truth? Some post-workout soreness is normal, especially in the beginning. But you don’t have to just suffer through it.

Here’s how to reduce muscle soreness after exercise using beginner-friendly strategies that actually help you feel better—and stay consistent.

Disclaimer: This blog is designed to provide helpful tips but isn’t personalized medical advice. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider before starting a new exercise program or making changes to your health routine. For full details, see our Disclaimer & Terms of Use.

Hydrate Before, During, and After Your Workout

Staying properly hydrated is one of the most effective ways to reduce muscle soreness after exercise—yet it’s often the first thing people overlook.

When you work out, your muscles produce metabolic byproducts like lactic acid. These substances can build up and contribute to the stiffness or soreness you feel afterward. Drinking water helps flush out these waste products, supports nutrient transport, and keeps your circulation flowing—all of which play a role in recovery.

Research published in the Journal of Athletic Training found that even mild dehydration can increase perceived soreness and reduce exercise performance. In other words, if you’re not drinking enough water, your workouts will feel harder—and your recovery will take longer.

Here’s how to make hydration work for you:

• Before your workout: Drink 16–20 oz of water 2–3 hours beforehand. If you tend to wake up dehydrated, start with a glass first thing in the morning.

• During your workout: Sip 7–10 oz of water every 10–20 minutes, especially during intense or longer sessions.

• After your workout: Rehydrate with at least 16–24 oz of water. If you’ve been sweating heavily, consider adding electrolytes to help your body absorb fluids more effectively.

For those doing at-home workouts or short sessions, plain water usually does the trick. But if you’re exercising in hot weather or for longer durations, an electrolyte drink can help speed up recovery and reduce post-workout fatigue.

Ultimately, consistent hydration supports everything from muscle repair to energy levels—making it a foundational step in preventing and reducing soreness.

Want the full beginner’s guide to recovery, energy, and progress? Check out How to Recover from Workouts: A Beginner’s Guide to Rest, Energy, and Progress — your go-to resource for mastering rest days and optimizing results. 👉 Read the full guide here

Muscle soreness doesn’t have to hold you back. My free 7-Day Kickstart Workout Plan is designed specifically for beginners to build strength, stay consistent, and include smart rest days. Grab your free Kickstart here!

Keep Moving—Even When You’re Sore

It might feel counterintuitive, but staying still can actually make soreness worse. While it’s important to give your body rest, light activity can play a crucial role in helping you reduce muscle soreness after exercise—especially in the first 24–72 hours when DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) typically peaks.

Gentle movement increases blood flow to sore muscles, delivering oxygen and nutrients that aid in the repair process while flushing out metabolic waste. According to research published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, low-intensity activity after exercise has been shown to speed up recovery and decrease perceived soreness.

You don’t need to push through pain or jump into a full workout. Instead, try:

• A light 10–20 minute walk outdoors or on a treadmill

• A gentle bike ride at a comfortable pace

• Recovery-focused stretching, mobility drills, or beginner yoga

• An active recovery day like the ones inside Your First 60

The goal isn’t intensity—it’s circulation. Listen to your body and focus on movement that feels good, not forced or exhausting. By staying lightly active, you support your body’s natural healing process and make your next workout feel better too.

Prioritize Sleep—It’s When the Real Recovery Happens

If you're trying to reduce muscle soreness after exercise, sleep might be the missing piece of your recovery routine.

Most people think recovery happens during the workout cooldown or in the hours immediately after training—but the real magic takes place while you’re asleep. During deep stages of sleep, your body releases growth hormone, which plays a key role in muscle repair, tissue regeneration, and overall recovery.

Research shows that sleep deprivation can significantly impair muscle recovery, increase perceived soreness, and reduce performance in subsequent workouts. One study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that even partial sleep loss negatively impacts muscle glycogen restoration and increases the perception of soreness the next day.

To give your body the best chance at healing and progress:

• Aim for 7–9 hours of sleep per night, especially after a tough or unfamiliar workout.

• Keep your room dark, cool, and quiet to support better sleep quality.

• Consider a short wind-down routine with stretching, journaling, or light reading to ease into rest.

If you’re doing everything “right” during the day but soreness lingers longer than expected, take a closer look at your sleep habits. Better rest isn’t just good for energy—it’s essential if you want to reduce muscle soreness after exercise and keep making progress.

Refuel with Protein and Nutrient-Dense Foods

What you eat after a workout plays a direct role in how well—and how quickly—your body recovers. When you exercise, especially during strength or resistance workouts, you create small tears in your muscle fibers. Recovery depends on giving your body the right fuel to repair and rebuild those muscles stronger than before.

Protein is essential for muscle repair. It provides the amino acids your body needs to rebuild tissue, reduce inflammation, and prevent muscle breakdown. Carbohydrates, on the other hand, replenish glycogen—the stored form of energy that gets depleted during exercise. Without this replenishment, fatigue and soreness can linger longer than they need to.

To support muscle recovery and reduce post-workout soreness, aim for a balanced post-workout meal that includes high-quality protein, complex carbs, and micronutrients like potassium, magnesium, and antioxidants.

Try options like:

• A protein smoothie with whey or plant-based protein, berries, and spinach

• Eggs with avocado and whole grain toast for a mix of protein, healthy fats, and fiber

• A chicken or tofu rice bowl with roasted vegetables and a drizzle of olive oil

• Greek yogurt with fruit and a sprinkle of chia seeds for protein and omega-3s

  
  

Timing matters too. For best recovery results, try to eat within 60–90 minutes after your workout, when your muscles are primed to absorb nutrients. According to the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, consuming protein and carbs within this window can significantly enhance muscle recovery and reduce delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS).

Bottom line: Don’t skip post-workout nutrition. It’s one of the most important things you can do to support your body as it adapts and gets stronger.

Ease Into Intensity, Especially as a Beginner

One of the biggest causes of extreme soreness? Doing too much, too soon.

It’s tempting to go all-in when motivation is high—especially if you’ve just committed to a new program or goal. But pushing past your current limits before your body is ready can lead to more than just next-day soreness—it can cause burnout, inflammation, and even injury.

The key is to give your body time to adapt gradually.

Instead of jumping into long, high-intensity sessions right away, start with:

• Shorter workouts (10–20 minutes)

• Lower-impact movements that build control and stability

• 2–3 sessions per week, spaced out with rest or light movement days

  
  

As your strength and stamina build, you can safely increase how often and how hard you train. Easing in doesn’t mean you’re not working—it means you’re being smart about progress that actually sticks.

A program like Your First 60 is designed with this exact principle in mind—strategic, scalable workouts that reduce the risk of soreness and set you up for long-term results.

If you're ready to build strength without burnout? My programs include beginner-friendly at-home workouts and recovery days all mapped out for you. Grab your free 7-Day Kickstart and start making progress today!

Want More Recovery Tips That Actually Work? If you're building your routine from scratch, recovery is just as important as the workouts themselves.Check out How to Recover from Workouts: A Beginner’s Guide to Rest, Energy, and Progress for a deeper breakdown on how to structure your rest days, support your energy, and build real progress.

Reduce Muscle Soreness After Exercise and Keep Moving Forward

Soreness might be part of the process, but it shouldn’t derail your progress. By fueling your body well, easing into intensity, and staying consistent with movement, you can reduce discomfort and build real momentum. Fitness isn’t about pushing through pain—it’s about learning how to support your body so you can keep showing up. If you're ready to build strength without burning out, the Your First 60 program gives you a sustainable path forward—starting right where you are.