No pain, no gain, right?
Not only does the world of fitness accept a certain level of discomfort, but it also celebrates it. It’s a sign of progress; it shows you have the discipline to push through the discomfort because the end goal is worth it.
But there’s a difference between manageable and ‘manageable’ pain.
The first kind is okay. It’s normal because, unless you feel some kind of discomfort, you’re not really doing much. The second kind isn’t something you should train through, and it’s the kind of pain that’s telling you to slow down and take it easy for a while.
The ‘push harder’ mindset isn’t bad by definition, but if you don’t know when to stop?
Then it’s a problem, and you have a better chance of ending up in a cast than you do of hitting your new PR.
Why ‘Manageable’ Pain Doesn’t Feel Like a Problem
The tricky part is that, at the moment, manageable pain doesn’t feel like a big deal.
It’s part of the process because gym culture is built on rewarding those who push past their limits. When you finish a tough set, you get a mental high because you’re proud of yourself for not quitting. That discomfort gets wrapped up in feelings of accomplishment, so you don’t see the threat that it can be.
Besides, a good workout is challenging, right?
It’s supposed to be hard, and you’re supposed to feel that good burn and fatigue. These are normal sensations, and the real problem is when you can’t tell the difference between the good pain and the bad pain. Good pain comes from effort.
Bad pain comes from your joints or tendons, asking for a break.
Also, you can’t forget about the fact that the human body is excellent at adapting, which includes the way we perceive pain. If you feel the exact same twinge in your shoulder every time you press overhead, your brain thinks it’s totally normal. You get used to it, and you hardly pay attention to what’s happening.
Another reason why people don’t think the pain they feel is a problem is that it’s not always preventing them from finishing the workout. However, it’s perfectly possible to be making progress while slowly wearing something down.
So what happens if you don’t stop on time?
Well, you leave the gym, and that’s when the ‘fun’ starts. The pain in your knee you felt during squats comes back to bite you when you try to get comfortable in bed. You feel stiffness the next day while you’re in your office, and you notice that going up the stairs isn’t as easy as it was the day before.
In short, if everyday tasks get too difficult, you’ve polished yourself too far.
It might come to the point where you need physical therapy. If you were working out with a personal trainer, you might even want to think about talking to a soft tissue injury lawyer to see whether you have a case there.
If it’s not your fault, why should you pay all the medical costs? On top of that, there’s accountability. Should someone be injured because of unclear or incorrect instructions?
How Small Problems Add Up and You Don’t Notice Any of Them
Some dramatic injuries start in a dramatic way. Others don’t. Actually, you hardly even notice that something is going on before you get in serious trouble.
Here’s why.
Tiny Stress Adds Up Faster Than You Think
Imagine putting a grain of sand on a scale. It’s nothing, right?
But what happens when you add a few more grains every day? Sooner or later, the scale will tip, and that’s exactly how small pinches and twinges add up. You feel a little something in your knee today, then a little something tomorrow, and all of a sudden, it’s hello, physical therapy, because you’re injured.
Your muscles get stronger fast, but that’s not the case for your ligaments and tendons.
They need longer to adapt, so when you push through the pain for too long, you pile on stress onto them faster than they can heal.
Your Body Starts to Work Around the Pain
Your body absolutely despises pain, so you can expect it to do whatever it can to work around it.
Here’s an example:
If your knee hurts, what’ll happen is that the way you walk will change without you doing anything. Your brain will rewire your walk pattern so that there’s more weight shifted onto the other leg.
If you have pain in your shoulder, it’s the other muscles that will pick up the slack. For example, you might feel more strain in your back because of your shoulder pain, since now your back is working overtime instead of the shoulder.
So can you finish your set during your workout routine? Of course you can.
And while it WILL feel like a win, you’re actually creating a ton of other problems along the way simply because it’s other parts of the body that are being stressed.
And since, during workouts, you’re trying to target specific muscles, you aren’t really hitting your target because of this.
Why Pain Shows Up Late
Ah, the real kicker. The pain that shows up while you’re watching Netflix.
You’re so focused during the workout that you don’t notice the minor alarm bells. But later that night or the next morning, the bells are all over the place. The delay makes it confusing, so you might not make the connection.
The pain seems like it’s coming from nowhere, but you can bet that it’s not.
Conclusion
You like to think of yourself as being tough, so you ignore the little twinges.
But make no mistake, it will come back to bite you. Pain and progress go hand in hand; that’s true, but if you’re serious about fitness, you absolutely must be able to tell the difference between progress and injury in the making.
You don’t always have to power through. It’s okay to take a break and listen to your body. Check your form when something is a little too much or, better yet, consider a rest day.
It’s not backing down, it’s being smart.