A Warm Burn Feeling After Exercises

Woman measuring thigh

Several factors could contribute to a warm or burning feeling after an inner thigh workout. Microtears to the muscle fibers or larger muscle tears can result from significant overexertion. Generalized muscle fatigue can also cause a sore feeling. After an injury or illness, your muscle may be extremely weak; even light exercise can cause this feeling. Understanding how to exercise muscles properly will help reduce the burning sensation so you can comfortably adhere to your routine.

Muscle Damage

A complete muscle tear is uncommon and often associated with trauma such as a car accident. If your muscle is completely torn, you will not be able to move your leg to bring your thighs together. However, a smaller tear can cause burning and pain; rest, ice and heat are ways to reduce your pain and help with healing. For most people, however, the most likely cause of burning is multiple microtears in the muscle fibers, commonly associated with over-stretching or overexertion. These microtears should heal within a week and you should be able to return to your routine. However, this symptom indicates that the weight or number of repetitions is too high and you should alter your routine accordingly to prevent a recurrence.

Fatigue

The most common cause of soreness and muscle fatigue after a workout is overexertion. This overexertion results in lactic acid buildup in your muscle fibers, which is a byproduct of high levels of carbon dioxide in your blood. Although you may try to breathe in more fully and quickly when exercising, it is just as important to breathe out completely. Match your long, full inhale with an equal exhale phase to allow your lungs time to adequately exchange carbon dioxide for oxygen. Integrating this breathing style into your workout routine will help you exercise longer, with higher intensity and less soreness and burning.

Severe Weakness

In isolated incidents, a severe loss of muscle strength, called muscular atrophy, can result from an accident or prolonged illness. Atrophy can cause signficant burning during exercise because the muscles are stressed beyond their capacity. In this case, you should consult a physical therapist to rehabilitate the muscle and aid you in gradually increasing intensity to allow your muscle to strengthen without additional injury.

When to See Your Doctor

If making small changes to your workout does not reduce the burning sensation, you may have nerve damage and should see your health care provider. Untreated nerve damage can result in further weakness and injury. Determining your nerve damage is vital to treating your symptoms and facilitating continued workouts without any negative effects.