If you exercise three/four times a week, is it normal to always ache a bit/feel a bit stiff?

You might want to check your iodine intake and make sure you're getting enough too. Iodine deficiency can really make you more sore all over.

Kinda... but with weights to some extent the more you train, the less the DOMS will be. So if I do legs one a week, I'm hobbling. If three times, I'm fine.

If you don't eat much meat have you thought of doing a blood test for iron levels? When you are a pre menopausal woman you lose a lot of iron in sweat and periods. I used to be borderline anaemic but 2 years into the menopause and things are better. I run every day, around 90kms a week and cycle and swim too, I rarely ache.cross training can help.

I've been stretching lots more recently and I feel so much better for it. I'd really recommend it.

The other thing I've hot recently is a massage mat with the raised bits on. Really helos circulation etc.

I exercise fairly hard four or five times a week. I ache and I am stiff the next day. I stretch when I get out of bed in the morning and walk five miles on average most days which helps massively.

It is definitely fairly normal for me. I am 50 but have ached/been stiff since I was 30.

I have got pernicious anaemia which doesn't help, moving definitely does help though.

I have discussed this with PTs and recovery post training has a lot to do with diet (as you’ve identified) and sleep can make a difference too.

I'm 49 and I do weights 3 times a week plus HIIT/circuits 6 - 7 times a week. I up my weights most weeks and change my program every 4 weeks. I also push hard to improve my cardio fitness (and track improvements on a regular basis). I will suffer from DOMS at the start of a new program as my muscles get used to the new movement, and I may also get other aches and pains from HIIT/circuits depending on what exercises we've done, how long for and how intense it was. For example, I had a big 2 hour session yesterday (Fri) so was feeling a bit fatigued and my back was aching when I did HIIT this morning. Doing lots of burpees this morning didn't help the aches!! If I'm not a little achey or stiff, I tend to think I've not pushed myself as hard as I could have.

At 49 though I do notice that I am stiffer than I was when I was younger and I make sure I warm up properly. It takes me a lot longer to be fully warmed up now I'm older. I'm a little more gentle on myself at the start of a session. I also stretch religiously after each training session which helps.

I exercise 4/5 times a week and I do feel achey from time to time. It's usually when I've pushed myself with heavier weights or with an exercise I haven't done in a while.

Definitely a good idea to have a really good stretch afterwards and in between sessions as well. Not just a quick 3 min job after a work out but a good stretch on each of the key muscles you e worked.

I exercise 3/4 times a week and yes I often get achey muscles or feel a bit stiff as I'm focusing on different bits of me every time, and the muscles aren't used to it. I like it as it confirms I'm (trying) to make sure everything is covered!!

I'm 51 & do about 90 minutes of activity daily; sometimes I'm achey but not stiff. There are people on other threads talking about being stiff when they do no exercise. I'm not sure there is always a solution.

I am 50 and exercise almost every day, pretty hard, but I don't usually ache unless I have had a weights session with my PT. Do you cool down and stretch afterwards? If not, try it.

I don't think it's bad to ache after each session, so long as it's not really grim, as it does show you have been working, but I think it is possibly a bit unusual.