“No pain, no gain” is a familiar exercise mantra used in motivating people to exercise just a little bit harder. There is some truth to this. To get rewards from your exercise, you need to push your body beyond your comfort limits. For instance, people are encouraged to exercise within their target heart range to improve the rate at which the body burns fat. However there is good pain caused by an effective workout and bad pain caused by muscle injury. Sharp pain during an exercise is usually reflective of something that you are doing wrong.
Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness
Delayed onset muscle soreness is a common type of exercise pain. This type of pain emerges 24 to 48 hours after a workout. DOMS occurs when you push your body such as by running farther than you ordinarily do. The pain is thought to be caused by micro-tears in your muscle fiber. The more tears you have, the more intense the soreness will be. Pain linked with DOMS is fairly healthy and fades over the course of a week. According to Carol Torgan, a representative of the American Council on Exercise, the benefits of the exercise are worth the initial discomfort.
Pain Caused by a Muscle Injury
Athletes sometimes experience pain caused by muscle injuries. This is not healthy and should be treated immediately. If you find that you are limping or compensating for another muscle during an exercise routine stop your exercise immediately. Keith Hanson, a coach for the Hansons-Brooks Distance project recommends that people avoid exercising through painful injuries, or the injuries might spread and affect other parts of their body.
How to Prevent Muscle Injury
Warming up and cooling down before and after your exercise will minimize the risk of injury. MayoClinic.com observes that warming up will prepare your muscles and cardiovascular system for the demands of an aerobic workout. Cooling down will gently reduce the temperature of your body, which may help prevent any potential soreness or stiffness. Overreaching is not the only factor that can cause muscle injury during an exercise. You can also harm your muscles by using the wrong technique or exercising with incorrect gear.
Exercise Frequency
To stay fit, the U.S Department of Health & Human Services recommends that you include 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise such as walking, or 75 minutes of intense physical activity like running, in your weekly routine. It recommends performing strength-training exercises at least twice a week. Seek the counsel of your doctor before starting an intense workout, especially if you have been inactive for several months or longer.
References
- "The New York Times"; That Little Voice Inside Your Twinge; Gina Kolata; June 2009
- "MetroWeekly"; The Pain of Gain: What Causes Exercise Pain?; Kimberly E. Soehnlein; March 2004
- Sports Medicine Information; How Can I Avoid a Sports Injury?
- MayoClinic.com; Aerobic Exercise: How to Warm Up and Cool Down; February 2011
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