Sore muscles after the gym? How to ease DOMS and feel ready again
You smashed leg day. Now the stairs are your enemy. Sitting down on the sofa is a negotiation, your quads feel like concrete, and lifting your arms to wash your hair is a whole event. That deep, stiff ache that peaks a day or two after a hard session has a name: DOMS, or delayed onset muscle soreness.
It means you worked hard. It does not mean you have to hobble around for three days.
Imagine waking up the day after a heavy session and feeling springy. Legs that walk down the stairs like normal. Shoulders that move freely. Ready to train again, and actually looking forward to it. That is what a recovery session at PURE is for.
Sports massage: the most-studied way to feel less sore
Every PURE spa offers sports, deep tissue and hot stone massage: 40 minutes from £72, 60 minutes from £100, 90 minutes from £140. A specialist therapist works the exact muscles you trained, loosening the tight, heavy feeling layer by layer.
The evidence is strong. A review of 99 studies ranked massage as the most effective way to ease DOMS and the feeling of fatigue after exercise (Dupuy 2018). Another review of 29 trials and 1,012 people found sports massage eased DOMS by around 13% and improved flexibility by around 7% (Davis 2020).
Book 60 minutes or more and you get 60 minutes of spa and wellness facilities on top (facilities vary by spa, visit our spa page for details).
Cold plunge and Fire & Ice: the athlete's favourite
At Union Square in Aberdeen and Lothian Road in Edinburgh, step into Cold Water Therapy (10 minutes, £15) or go all in with Contrast Therapy "Fire & Ice" (60 minutes, £40), switching between deep heat and bracing cold. The rush as you step out is unbeatable. You feel wide awake, light and buzzing.
A Cochrane review of 17 trials found cold water eased muscle soreness for up to four days after exercise compared with resting (Bleakley 2012). A 2022 review of 52 studies found people felt less sore and more recovered the day after high-intensity exercise (Moore 2022).
Compression boots: sit back and let your legs recover
Therabody compression boots are at Lothian Road, Union Square and Witney Lakes: 30 minutes £35, 60 minutes £55. You sit back fully clothed while the boots squeeze and release your legs in rhythmic waves, from your feet up to your thighs. It feels like your legs are being wrung out and handed back to you.
A 2024 review of 17 trials found compression eased muscle soreness straight after a session and again four days later (Maia 2024).
Infrared heat and Theragun: two more ways to loosen up
Our infrared sauna is 30 minutes for £25 at Union Square, Aberdeen. In a trial of 16 basketball players, an infrared sauna after resistance training meant less muscle soreness and a stronger feeling of recovery than resting (Ahokas 2023).
Prefer percussion? The Theragun Full Body Massage is 60 minutes for £95, or 40 minutes on your back or legs for £69. In a trial of 30 active young men, a 40-minute percussion session beat static stretching for soreness two days after a hard workout (Li 2025).
When to book
The sweet spot is the day after a big session, when the ache is building. Book a sports massage or Fire & Ice then and go to bed feeling looser. Training hard every week? A regular recovery slot is the smart move.
Build your reset
The best recovery stacks. Pair two and feel the difference the next morning.
Fire & Ice plus massage (Union Square or Lothian Road). A 60-minute Fire & Ice session (£40), then a 60-minute sports massage (from £100). Heat, cold, then hands. From £140, and the most complete reset on the menu.
Boots and a plunge (Union Square or Lothian Road). 30 minutes in the compression boots (£35) followed by a 10-minute cold plunge (£15). Fifty pounds for legs that feel brand new.
Leg day rescue (Witney Lakes). 30 minutes in the boots (£35), then a 40-minute sports massage on your legs (from £72). From £107.
Book your recovery
You put the work in. Now feel the reward. Book a sports massage, book Fire & Ice or book compression boots online now, and be back in the gym feeling ready.
Pregnant or under medical care? Have a quick word with your GP before you book.
A wellness experience, not a medical treatment.
Frequently asked questions
What is DOMS?
DOMS stands for delayed onset muscle soreness: the deep, stiff ache that shows up a day or two after a hard or new workout. Think stairs after leg day. A sports massage, a cold plunge or a session in compression boots at PURE helps your muscles feel looser and lighter so you are ready to train again.
What helps sore muscles after the gym?
Sports massage leads the research: a review of 99 studies ranked it the most effective way to ease DOMS and the feeling of fatigue. Cold water and compression boots are close behind. At PURE, book a 60-minute sports massage from £100, or pair Fire & Ice (£40) with a massage for the full reset.
Is an ice bath good after a workout?
Yes, if you love feeling wide awake and light. A Cochrane review of 17 trials found cold water eased muscle soreness for up to four days compared with resting. Book a 10-minute Cold Water Therapy session (£15) or the 60-minute Fire & Ice contrast experience (£40) at PURE Union Square, Aberdeen or Lothian Road, Edinburgh.
Is a sauna good after a workout?
Many people love it. In a trial of 16 basketball players, an infrared sauna after resistance training meant less muscle soreness and a stronger feeling of recovery than resting. Our infrared sauna at Union Square, Aberdeen is 30 minutes for £25. Pair it with a sports massage for warm, loose muscles from head to toe.
Do compression boots help with DOMS?
A 2024 review of 17 trials found compression eased muscle soreness straight after a session and again four days later. At PURE you sit back fully clothed while Therabody boots squeeze and release your legs. Book 30 minutes for £35 or 60 minutes for £55 at Lothian Road, Union Square or Witney Lakes.
Massage gun or sports massage: which is better?
Why choose? A sports massage gives you a specialist therapist's hands on every tight muscle. Theragun adds rapid, deep percussion that feels incredible on quads and calves. A 40-minute percussion session beat static stretching for soreness in a 2025 trial. Book the Theragun Full Body Massage (60 minutes, £95) or a sports massage from £72.
Sources
- Dupuy O, Douzi W, Theurot D, Bosquet L, Dugue B (2018). An evidence-based approach for choosing post-exercise recovery techniques. Frontiers in Physiology 9:403. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/physiology/articles/10.3389/fphys.2018.00403/pdf
- Davis HL, Alabed S, Chico TJA (2020). Effectiveness of sports massage for recovery of skeletal muscle from strenuous exercise. BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine 6(1):e000614. https://bmjopensem.bmj.com/content/6/1/e000614.full
- Bleakley C, McDonough S, Gardner E et al. (2012). Cold-water immersion (cryotherapy) for preventing and treating muscle soreness after exercise. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews CD008262. https://search.pedro.org.au/search-results/record-detail/30988
- Moore E, Fuller JT, Buckley JD et al. (2022). Impact of cold-water immersion compared with passive recovery following a single bout of strenuous exercise on athletic performance. Sports Medicine 52(7):1667-1688. https://researchers.mq.edu.au/en/publications/impact-of-cold-water-immersion-compared-with-passive-recovery-fol/
- Maia F, Nakamura FY, Sarmento H, Marcelino R, Ribeiro J (2024). Effects of lower-limb intermittent pneumatic compression on sports recovery: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Biology of Sport 41(4):263-275. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11475002/
- Ahokas E, Ihalainen JK, Hanstock H, Savolainen E, Kyrolainen H (2023). A post-exercise infrared sauna session improves recovery of neuromuscular performance and muscle soreness after resistance exercise training. Biology of Sport 40(3):681-689. https://www.termedia.pl/A-post-exercise-infrared-sauna-session-improves-recovery-of-neuromuscular-performance-and-muscle-soreness-after-resistance-exercise-training,78,47765,0,1.html
- Li H, Luo L, Zhang J, Cheng P, Wu Q, Wen X (2025). The effect of percussion massage therapy on the recovery of delayed onset muscle soreness in physically active young men: a randomized controlled trial. Frontiers in Public Health 13:1561970. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1561970/pdf
