DOMS is short for "Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness" and relates to the feeling we have of muscular discomfort, often as a result of physical exercise – lifting weights or playing sport.

DOMS isn’t normally felt straight after the event but is usually evident within 24-48 hours after training. You’ll often be made aware of DOMS first thing in the morning. Our bodies repair themselves as we rest and sleep, so with the body immobile for several hours while we recover, we can feel quite sore when we first wake and move about.

Much can be achieved by being sensible and adopting new fitness habits and routines. Prevention is the best cure as they say.

• Foam rolling - Foam rolling is a popular means of self-myofascial release, the process of lengthening muscles and removing muscle knots and kinks. It’s not always the most comfortable activity, but professionals and athletes alike swear by its effectiveness. Myofascial is dense tough tissue that surrounds and covers your muscles and bones. Tissue manipulation is used to reduce stress, tension and muscle fatigue. Click here for some videos on foam rolling

• Contrast showering - a technique only used by the bravest amongst us and involves showering in short bursts of hot water, followed by cold water and so on. 3 minutes of hot water followed by 1 minute of cold water. Repeat a further 2 or 3 times. The hot water helps to open up the blood vessels and increase blood flow, drawing blood to the surface of the skin. Cold water is then used to drive the blood flow inwards to protect internal organs from the cold. The process is thought to aid DOMS by reducing the amount of lactate in the blood and inflammation too.

• Sports massage - Tissue and muscle manipulation helps to move blood and fluid which promotes the flow of nutrients to your muscles and flush out any nasty by-products of exercise.

• KEEP MOVING - If you DO get stiff - keep showing up, keep moving, as this will help. It's better to train 3 times a week at 60% and feel OK, than once a week at 100% and feel beaten up.

In principle it can’t, but it can be managed better. Here’s some tips:

• Prepare your muscles prior to exercising – perform dynamic stretching rather than static stretching.

• Raising your core body temperature and heart rate.

• Warming down sufficiently and incorporating static stretches at the end of a workout can aid the recovery process. An active warm down will also promote blood flow and nutrient access to the muscles at a time they are needed most.

• Stay hydrated. This is probably the most basic but frequently overlooked factor linked to performance.

• Making sure you are eating right and getting a good supply of carbs, protein and fats is key to replenishing energy stores, building and repairing muscle and maintaining a healthy immune system.