It's not unusual to experience sore muscles after a workout, especially if you exercised more vigorously than normal or tried a new exercise. Muscle soreness is caused by tiny tears in the muscle tissue that result from exercise. Soreness usually occurs within a couple of days of doing the exercise that caused the tears, which is called delayed onset muscle soreness. DOMS will get better on its own, usually within three days. If your hamstrings are too sore to do your regular cardio routine, do upper body cardio exercises until the soreness subsides.
An upper body ergometer is an exercise machine that works every muscle of your upper body and arms. The machine is similar to a stationary bicycle, except you “pedal” the machine with your hands and arms. To use an upper body ergometer, you sit upright on a seat and adjust the height until your shoulders are level with the center of the crank where the pedals attach. Move your seat back until your arms are nearly extended when the pedal is farthest from your body. Keep your back straight and begin cycling with your hands. Vary the intensity of the workout by increasing or decreasing the resistance.
Upper body water exercise can give you a good cardio workout without placing stress on your sore hamstrings. You can get your heart pumping and increase your breathing rate by pushing and pulling water with hand paddles and webbed gloves. To work your biceps first, move into chest-deep water; hold your arms down by your sides with your elbows slightly bent and close to your body. Face your palms up and then slowly lift only your forearms up to the level of the water or at roughly a 90-degree angle. Then, work your triceps by turning your wrists and point your palms toward the bottom of the pool. Push the water as you lower your forearms from the elbow until your arms are straight down. Repeat this exercise 10 to 15 times.
Upper Body Kickboxing Exercises
Kickboxing is a great whole-body cardio workout that melts away the fat and strengthens your heart and lungs. If you have sore hamstring muscles, do upper body kickboxing moves for a heart-pounding workout. Perform speed bag punching exercises and jabs until you are sweating and exhausted. Pretend to speed punch a boxing bag by clinching your fists and raising your elbows up to shoulder level. Punch out from your shoulder with your left fist and then return your fist to your left shoulder. Repeat on the right side. Alternate punching left and then right as fast as you can for three to five minutes. Raise your fists to cover your face. Shift your right hip forward and then jab forward with your right hand. Jab with your right fist until you fatigue. Shift to the left hip and repeat with the left hand.
Treatment for Sore Muscles
The level of soreness you will experience depends on the number and severity of the tiny tears in your hamstring muscles. Your muscle soreness could be mild and last only one or two days. If your muscle soreness is severe and does not improve within three days, see your doctor. Reduce the intensity of your workout or work different muscle groups until the soreness improves. Use ice and massage to get some relief for your sore hamstrings. Gentle stretching exercises may help relieve some soreness. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may help relieve some of the pain.
- WebMD: Managing Sore Muscles and Joint Pain
- Physio Room: Hamstring Injury Explained
- American Council on Exercise: If My Muscles Are Sore From Previous Workouts, Is It Safe to Exercise Them?
- American Council on Exercise: Don’t Be a Sore Loser: Dealing with Muscle Soreness
- Seating Dynamics; National Strength and Conditioning Association; Upper Body Ergometry: The Most Underused Aerobic Exercise; Joseph M. Warpeha; 2009
- MayoClinic.com: Aquatic Exercise How-To's
- U.S. Navy: Dynamic Warm-Up Exercises (Page 9)
Robin Reichert is a certified nutrition consultant, certified personal trainer and professional writer. She has been studying health and fitness issues for more than 10 years. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from the University of San Francisco and a Master of Science in natural health from Clayton College.