If you just started working out, there's a pretty good chance you're experiencing muscle soreness for hours and even days after your workouts. Your body is not used to working out so strenuously and, as a result, you're suffering from muscle soreness. But don't worry: It won't last forever. As you work out more often and your body gets accustomed to exercising, you will not have to worry about muscle soreness quite as often. Still, no matter how often you work out, there's a pretty good chance that you're going to experience muscle soreness every now and then. To prevent this, there are some simple stretches that you can try in order to prevent soreness.

Whether you're lifting at the gym or running through some cardio exercises, upper body stretches are a great way to prevent muscle soreness. In order to fully stretch your upper body, you need to run through a series of stretches that focus on everything from your arms and shoulders to your chest and back. Don't rush through your upper body stretches as they can be helpful in getting you prepared for your workout. Here are 5 good upper body stretches to try before and after your next workout:

• Neck stretch
• Triceps stretch
• Chest complex
• Back pair
• Wrist stretch

If you're a runner, it's important that you focus on lower body stretches. Muscle soreness in your legs can make it difficult to do even the most basic tasks like walking. In order to prevent problems after a workout, there are some lower body stretches you can do to loosen up your muscles and prevent muscle soreness from popping up later. Here are 5 good lower body stretches to try before and after your next workout:

• Hamstring stretch
• Quadriceps stretch
• Standing lunge stretch
• Knee-to-chest stretch
• Calf stretch

Regardless of how often you workout, you should always use a warm up and cool down period to help your body get prepared for what you're about to put it through. Muscle soreness occurs in many people because they simply do not stretch or warm up or cool down at all. This leaves your body at a severe disadvantage and prevents it from ever really getting loose. As a result, the muscles throughout your body will get tight and you will experience muscle soreness the following day.

Aside from just performing some of the stretches listed above (you can check out Fitday for even more stretching techniques and ideas), there are some other ways that you can prevent muscle soreness. For instance, giving your body the proper amount of rest is a great way to prevent muscle soreness. You can use a warm shower or a heating pad on your muscles to help get them loose. Muscle soreness is natural, though, and it means that your muscles have been pushed. So don't worry too much if you experience some muscle soreness after a workout. Provided you're stretching properly before and after, it just means you're pushing your body to get stronger.