Surely you’ve heard the expression “no pain, no gain” with respect to exercise…but do you realize that’s not true? For some time, a myth has been perpetrated that if your muscles aren’t hurting, it means you’re not having a quality workout. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
Some types of exercise, including resistance training and cardio, can be intense and cause some level of discomfort, but pain isn’t an indication that you’re really “working it.” It can actually be a warning sign that you have injured yourself, possibly pulling a muscle or even worse, tearing a ligament.
It’s very important to get to know your body, and understand how far you can push yourself before it’s too much. The last thing you want to do is overdo it, because you can inadvertently cause some structural damage, and you’ll be less likely to keep up with an exercise regime if you believe pain is required to get a proper workout.
When you first start exercising, especially if it’s been a while since you’ve been physically active, it’s critical to take things slow and build up to more reps, more weight, more time, etc. Take a cue from marathon runners, none of whom began by running 26 miles; they started at a small distance—perhaps even a mile—and gradually built up their endurance.
If you’re experiencing pain when you exercise, something is wrong. You may be positioned incorrectly, wearing shoes without proper support or just overexerting yourself. “Pain = no gain” is the expression you should keep in mind, to ensure you don’t unintentionally undermine your good intentions to be physically active.