I notice if I don't exercise for a long time and then hit the gym hard, I'm really, really sore the next day or even two days later. I hear other people complain about this, too. What can I do to keep this from happening?

Sore muscles may result from a build of lactic acid in a muscle from a strenuous workout. If you exercise so intensely that you breathe hard, your muscles can’t get enough oxygen. As a result, lactic acid accumulates in your muscle fibers causing soreness.

There may be some ways of preventing or reducing sore muscles. Drinking plenty of clear liquids (especially water) before, during, and after your workout may help. The idea is that by drinking lots of fluids, you are flushing the lactic acid out of the muscles and into the bloodstream to be washed away.

Stretching before, during, and after your workout may also help. If you are sore, doing a five to 10 minute type of warm-up or a series of exercises with light weights a day or two after the big workout may reduce your soreness.

Nutritionists advise eating a bit more protein to replenish protein stores. You can do this right after intense exercise and for a few days when the soreness starts.

Regular training without long lapses between is really the best approach. Research shows that training increases your body's lactate threshold. In other words, if you stick with a regular exercise routine, it takes more intense exercise over a longer period of time to get sore.

When you are just beginning or starting back to an exercise program after inactivity, intensity should be hard enough to increase your breathing. It shouldn't be so intense you are breathless or exhausted. People who are not as fit actually achieve good training effects at lower intensities compared to a more aerobically fit adult.