For my mountain athletes looking to build real strength without wrecking themselves every week.

You know that moment when you wake up, roll out of bed, and immediately think: “Oh cool, my legs no longer belong to me.”

Cue the internet advice: “Just stretch it out!” “Do more mobility!” And listen… I love a good mobility sesh here and there. But here’s the deal:

👉 Stretching and mobility do NOT “treat” muscle soreness.

Let’s break down what’s really happening — and what will actually help you recover and keep training consistently.

going downstairs after the first big powder day

**What Actually Causes Soreness**

Soreness (aka DOMS — delayed onset muscle soreness) isn’t a sign that your muscles are “tight.” It’s a sign that they’re repairing.

DOMS happen when your muscles experience more stress than they’re currently adapted to.

In the gym or sending it on the mountain, tiny microscopic tears form in the muscle fibers (don’t freak, it’s totally normal!). Your body responds with inflammation as it begins repairing and rebuilding those tissues, which is what creates that stiff, achy feeling 12–48 hours later. And while some soreness is bound to happen - you shouldn’t feel wrecked after every gym sesh or powder day (read on for what you can do!).

Here are the true culprits behind your “why does walking down my stairs feel like a death march” days 👇

1️⃣ Lack of Preparation or Conditioning

If you haven’t trained consistently over the past 2-3 months and then went full send this weekend when the first big storm hit, your body’s likely not conditioned for the loads and demands of your sport yet.

Think of your muscles like trails: the more frequently they’re maintained, the smoother the ride. Skip maintenance? Expect roots and rocks. And maybe some reggae.

2️⃣ A Big Jump in Volume

Whether it's in your strength training or trail miles, suddenly doing more than your bod’s used to is likely to cause some soreness. There’s no one-sized-fits-all here when it comes to volume bumps - so it can take some trial and error to figure out what works for you.

3️⃣ Constant Novelty in the Gym

I know, I know, new stuff every week feels “fun” but constant novelty means your body has no idea what to expect…and can’t take advantage of the resilience it built from last week’s training. If every workout feels like a surprise party... your muscles are going to let you know.

**“Oops, I Did It Again” - already sore? Here’s what actually helps**

Good news: sore doesn’t equal broken and it happens to every athlete…including well-trained mountain athletes and coaches who “know better” but couldn’t fight the urge to go full send 🤣🙋‍♀️.

So if you’re in that boat with me, here’s what really helps you recover faster:

1️⃣ Light Movement (boost that blood flow, bb!)

Walking, easy cycling, gentle active mobility- anything that increases blood flow without adding strain to your muscles.

More blood flow =
☑️ nutrients delivered to muscle
☑️ waste products cleared
☑️ recovery sped up

2️⃣ Adequate Fuel: Calories, Protein, Carbs

Recovery is WORK. Your muscles cannot repair themselves without enough energy. Period.

Protein ➡️ provides building blocks to repair microtears in muscles
Carbs ➡️ replenish energy stores
Calories ➡️ fuel the entire repair process

Bottom line: if you want to recover well instead of feeling chronically a little sore and a little sluggish - make sure you’re fueling your adventures AND your recovery days.

3️⃣ Hydration

Remember that whole chit-chat on blood flow above? That means we need hydration too. So fill up that straw cup and sip-sip throughout your day.

4️⃣ Stress Management

Your body repairs best when you're in parasympathetic mode (aka rest, digest & repair mode) - so anything you can do to regulate your nervous system will improve recovery.

Some common ones:
☑️ breathing drills (box breathing, crocodile breath)
☑️ walk outside
☑️ restorative poses (90/90, child’s pose, legs up the wall)
☑️ meditation
☑️ journaling, doodling, etc

5️⃣ Quality Sleep

Maybe the single most underrated recovery tool - it boosts growth hormone to support tissue repair, helps regulate our nervous system, and provides the physical rest needed so those little worker bee cells can repair your tissue and refill your tank for your next day on the mountain.

Sleep’s not entirely in our control - but good sleep hygiene habits can go a long way.

Exactly what to do next time to prevent soreness

You do not need to feel wrecked after every gym sesh or big mountain day. In fact, if your goal is performance as a mountain athlete, you shouldn’t.

Here’s what you can do to avoid it:

Gradual Ramp vs. “Zero to Full Send” - consider what you’ve been doing on average over the past weeks or months. Start there and gradually add volume (whether that’s trail time, mileage, or sets/reps).
Proper Prep - a 5-10 min gradual warm up to increase blood flow, get the nervous system ready, and prime your muscles for work in the gym or on the train.
Structured Progressive Programming - random workouts create random soreness instead of RESILIENCE. And as someone who doesn’t like wasting time in the gym, I want better for you.
Consistent patterns + progressive overload mean…

➡️ real strength
➡️ less soreness
➡️ more confidence
➡️ better performance on the mountain
This is exactly why my Base Camp Athletics programs are structured, so you build capacity instead of constantly shocking your system.

TL;DR Stretching doesn’t cure soreness. Purposeful training + fueling does.

Wanna beat soreness for good? You don’t need an elaborate hour-long stretching routine.

Did you just mutter “oh thank God?” - because me too.

What you do need…

❤️ consistent training in patterns that translate to your sport
❤️ gradual ramp up into your sports
❤️ eat enough
❤️ drink enough water
❤️ sleep

Here’s to supporting your body for the long haul.

If you want purposeful training to get strong without feeling wrecked every week, I’ve got you 👇

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Why Stretching Won’t Cure Your Soreness (…and What Actually Will)