Why does my body feel weird after working out and how can I address it?

When you exercise, your muscles work a lot harder than usual. This hard work can leave tiny tears in the muscle fibers, which is completely normal. These little tears are part of how your muscles grow stronger, but they can make your body feel sore a day or two later. This feeling is called delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Also, when you work out, your heart pumps more blood to help deliver oxygen and nutrients to your muscles. After your workout, your heart rate and blood flow gradually go back to normal, and during this cool-down period, you might feel a bit strange. To help your body recover, try stretching gently after exercising. Drinking water and getting enough rest can also help your muscles heal and reduce that odd, sore feeling. If your muscles hurt a lot or you feel unwell for a long time, you can use our free symptom checker to better understand what might be causing your discomfort and whether you should seek medical attention.