We’ve all heard the expression ‘no pain, no gain’. When it comes to exercise, we’ve been taught to believe that if it doesn’t hurt, it’s not effective. It’s no doubt that pushing through a workout is challenging. In fact, some physical discomfort can be a sign of building muscle, loosening joints, or limbering ligaments and is necessary for your body to transition to the next level of fitness. However, there is also “bad” pain that does not lead to better performance, but instead debilitating injury.
There’s a difference between “good” and “bad” pain in exercise. This needs to be understood for a successful fitness program.
Good pain
1. Lactic acid
Think about climbing a tall set of stairs or a steep hill. Eventually you will start breathing harder and, as there is less oxygen supply to your muscles, you start ‘feeling a burn’. In this case, the ‘burn’ will be generalized around the quads. This is the most common form of pain or discomfort we feel during strenuous exercise and is caused by build up of lactic acid. Lactic acid is a by-product of the process your body goes through when it needs to create energy more quickly than it normally does, such as when you are doing strenuous exercise. Lactic acid is removed from your body and the burning sensation stops shortly after you cease the activity. The overall feeling is that you may have experienced some discomfort, but generally speaking, you will have had a good workout that leaves you feeling energised and unharmed.
2. Delayed-onset muscle soreness
Have you ever felt sore after starting a new activity or pushing yourself harder than usual during a workout? Don’t be put off. This type of muscle and joint stiffness is normal, short-lived and is in fact a sign of your improving fitness. DOMS is caused by micro tears in muscle fibres, which is part of an adaptation process that leads to greater stamina and strength as the muscles recover and build. It manifests in light muscle tenderness and stiff joints, becoming prominent 24 to 48 hours post-training and should start to diminish after about 72 hours. The best way to overcome DOMS is with light exercise to allow bloodflow to your muscles, which will help them repair.
Bad Pain
The following forms of pain are signs that you are doing something wrong or are doing too much. When these scenarios present themselves, it is important you stop your workout immediately to prevent any further injury and/or seek medical attention.
- Joint or musculoskeletal pain
- Anything associated with chest pain
- Localized and unsymmetrical pain (rather than DOMS and burning muscles that are felt across generalized region and symmetrically on both sides of the body)
- Sharp, sudden pain
- ‘Shooting’ pain, or pain accompanied by numbness, tingling or pins and needles
- Persistent pain that lasts for longer than two weeks or gets worse over time
- Swelling and/or heat in a particular area, especially if it is accompanied by pain and/or stiffness
- Severe pain that disrupts your daily activities including sleep and ability to work
Exercise should be an enjoyable means of improving health and wellbeing. It is important to listen to your body so that you safely push yourself during your workouts and avoid injury and adverse health effects.
Share your thoughts...