If you are new to strength training, then it's likely that you are going to be sore after your workouts for a while. Your body is adjusting to using muscles that have not been challenged in a while. You may notice soreness that lasts 24-48 hours, or just enough time until your next workout. Fortunately, there are ways to reduce soreness after workouts that will allow your body to recover faster.
Soreness is generally not something to be concerned about as long as you are using good form, not feeling "sharp" pain, and still able to do your daily activities. If you are so sore that you can't even walk after a workout, that is a sign you are doing too much for what your body can handle.
You can counteract soreness by walking, gentle yoga, foam rolling, mobility work / stretching, and other gentle forms of movement. While it may seem tempting to just sit on the couch and veg for a day or two after a workout, movement will actually bring more blood flow to your muscles, bringing more oxygen and nutrients along with it.
Try to get enough protein intake also, which will help your body recover (and put that workout to good use by building new muscle).
Make sure to get enough sleep, which is your body’s chance to recover and repair. 7-9 hours is enough for the vast majority of people -- less than that is not ideal.
Stay hydrated, with plenty of water and (if needed) electrolytes to help replete what you lost with sweating. Water helps your body get rid of waste products that can build up and cause soreness.
Reach for anti-inflammatory foods, like a variety of fruits and vegetables (berries are some of my favorites!), ginger, turmeric, other spices, and fatty fish with omega-3's. This will help counter any inflammation in your body. They can be taken in supplement form as well, though I always encourage whole food forms of anti-inflammatory foods as well.
And if you’re finding yourself extremely sore, back off on the volume and intensity of your exercises the next time you work out. You do NOT need to be excessively sore in order to build muscle. You might be a little sore, but it should go away after a day or two. More than that means you’re probably overdoing it for what your body needs. Try cutting down the number of exercises, the amount of weight you are lifting, or the number of sets you are doing and see how you feel after that.
Remember, the point of exercise is NOT to beat yourself up. Exercise is meant to trigger your body to adapt in a certain way: getting stronger, faster, more cardiovascularly efficient, more flexible, etc. You don't need to punish your body in order to change it for the better. In fact, overdoing it is counterproductive to long-term change. Your body will spend more time in "repair" mode than in "grow" or "adapt" mode.
So be kind to your body, train smart, recover well, and keep up the good work because it's always, always worth it. <3