If working out used to be accompanied by pain afterward, the discomfort could be related to any of several causes. Your nutrition and hydration levels may have improved, as well as your form during exercises and your general fitness. As long as you are careful about how you exercise and your conditioning improves, you should expect to experience less pain over time.
Improved Flexibility and Strength
If you have been somewhat sedentary, and you're starting to work out, it's normal to feel sore at first. Your muscles need to get used to the strain of exercise, whether it's running, tennis, lifting weights or any physical activity. Dancing and gardening can leave you sore if you're not used to the strenuous effort. But the more you exercise and elevate your flexibility and strengthen the muscles around your joints, the less pain you'll feel after exercise and any time.
Improved Form and Better Shoes
A common cause of pain when working out is improper form, such as bending your back forward when doing bicep curls. Lifting more weight than you can reasonably handle is often to blame for poor form. The more you work out and you learn how to do certain exercises better and with greater control, pain related to overdoing it or bad form will disappear. Having the right running shoes to match your running routine, will help relieve pain in your feet and legs, and even your hips. There's a reason serious runners have quality shoes with flexible designs and good arch support. If you have invested in good shoes and other important equipment, you should feel better after your workouts.
Better Nutrition
Reduced levels of potassium or calcium in the body can lead to muscle cramps. By improving your nutrient intake and balancing your levels of electrolytes, such as calcium, potassium and magnesium, you're taking better care of your muscles. Often when people start working out regularly, they make other healthy choices in their lives, such as a better diet or the intake of vitamin supplements. You may be eating better and that's making you feel better, too.
Better Hydration
When you started working out, you may not have known just how much water you would need to stay hydrated and feeling good. Your throat and mouth may feel thirsty after a good workout, but your muscles, joints and the rest of your body need water too during and after physical activity. All metabolic functions take place in fluid, so your circulation, digestion and all other systems in the body will appreciate you keeping hydrated. Without realizing it, you may have started drinking more water during and after your workouts and one of the results is less pain.
Getting Too Easy
One other reason for not feeling pain anymore after working out could be that your workouts have gotten too easy. If you're not feeling challenged or your fitness or weight-loss efforts have reached a plateau, think about ways of ramping up your workouts. Add another mile or another 15 or 20 minutes to your running or jogging routines. Add more weight or more reps to your resistance training. You start to feel a little strain again, but as long as you're not injuring yourself, it's a pain that will leave you feeling better at the end of the day.
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