Explaining Our Body on Instagram: "That soreness you feel a day or two after working out is called DOMS, which stands for delayed onset muscle soreness. It usually shows up 12–48 hours after exercise. It happens because your muscles experience tiny microscopic tears when you lift weights or do challenging movement. As your body repairs those small tears, the muscle becomes stronger, but the process can cause stiffness, tenderness, and that familiar “tight” or achy feeling. DOMS is more common wh