My Muscles are sore

Why do my muscles hurt the day after i work out? Is it cause I didn't stretch enough?

DOMS - delayed onset muscle soreness - is not unusual the day after any intense exercise.  Some people actually look for it as a sign that they tore the muscles (in a healthy way), thus prompting new growth.

Stretching immediately after your workout will help (and highly recommended) but it won't eliminate the soreness altogether if you really pushed your body that hard.  Stretching the next day will help clear out some of the lactic acid.  If the pain is really intense, then rest. Don't try to exercise the effected body part until the pain subsides - and maybe dial it down a notch next time you're in the gym.

If you think you're injured, definitely get to a doctor.

As a life-long amateur athlete, I find that most people misunderstand the point of stretching. It really is not for any immediate impact; it's about your long-term flexibility, which is essential for continuing to exercise without injury.

Stretching improves your flexibility and so, over time, reduces the likelihood of DOMS. Once I've reached a high degree of flexibility, I have to work out unusually hard (and I mean really hard) to make my muscles sore again. To me, it's a sign I've actually worked out too hard b/c I have such confidence in my stretching program and have learned to respect it as an integral part of my work out.

FWIW, I never, ever stretch a cold muscle; i do one set of stretches about 1.5 miles into a workout/run and it is with relatively brief hold (maybe 20 seconds) per stretch. I do a second set after my workout and then I hold each stretch at least 30 seconds, but usually longer b/c I wait for the tension to dissipate/the muscle to relax. I was the most flexible person I knew for years but, for various reasons, got away from it for about a decade and have s-l-o-w-l-y been working my way back.

Good luck!

nope ... is because of the lactic acid your muscles generate with excercise . I recommend a water soluble whey supplement. Take it after excersise ... and you will not be sore . The proteion in the whey will absorb the lactic acid ... minimizing the soreness.

greetings

Before doing my weight routine (I do it at home), I "loosen up" by dancing first for about 5 minutes. Then I stretch for another 5. Then I "shake it out" with another dance. THEN I get into my weight routine, and after that I stretch again and "shake it out" once more with more dancing (or walking) for another 5-10 minutes.