By now, final exams and projects are in full swing and I am sure many students have pulled a few all nighters since my last blog post.
In case you haven't read it, check out my story that ran in The Avenue last week about how to prepare for exam week so that you won't have to pull an all nighter.
Looking ahead
With the semester over in two weeks, it is important to continue to stay in shape after finals and throughout the summer.
As I mentioned back in my first blog post in January, staying in shape and working out is a lifestyle change, not a fad for a semester that takes a summer break.
Whether you will work at an internship, study abroad, stay at home or continue taking classes at UF this summer, make sure you find a means to stay in shape whether it be at your local gym or by using fitness equipment at home.
Feel the burn
Once you start getting back into exercising and lifting weights, you will inevitably feel sore for a day or two after you exercise. Usually the sorest you will feel is two days after working out, especially if you do a lot of compound exercises like squats and deadlifts.
The reason for this soreness is a condition called delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS).
Originally thought to have been caused by a build up of lactic acid, DOMS is believed to be caused by exercises that the body is not used to, like the sitting down motion of squats, and eccentric muscle contractions where the body performs explosive plyometric exercises such as running downhill.
DOMS is your body's normal response to new stimuli that will help your muscles adapt and become stronger.
Heal the burn
When muscles are tight, many peoples' first response is to massage the kinks in your muscles.
According to a short brief from Men's Fitness in September, a Canadian study found that men who performed strenuous physical activity and then had a massage actually hampered their recovery.
Usually, rest is the best method of healing DOMS and taking it easy once you restart your workout regimen. You want to help your muscles grow, but remember that you don't want to become so sore you can't walk up and down stairs or do other normal activities.
For more tips on how to recover from DOMS and how to prevent it, check out about.com's Web site on muslce soreness and a special report on muscle soreness from the sports injury bulletin.
Check back next week as I will post my last blog for The Alligator about health and fitness.
Stay healthy, Gators!
