How To Tell When Pain Is Bad When Exercising

If you’ve just started a new exercise regimen, it is common to experience some soreness and aches as your body adjusts to the new movements. The fact is, that activities such as weight-lifting and cardiovascular exercises put stress on the body, but through that, strength and endurance are achieved.

But what happens if you experience pain during a workout; should you just push through it? No pain, no gain, right?

Not quite! Our physical therapy team at Impact Medical Zephryhills explains when you should listen to your body’s pain cues, and some tips to prevent pain when exercising.

Can Pain Be “Good” When Exercising?

Before we get started, yes, “good pain” does exist. When you feel soreness or achiness after a workout, this is usually due to mild inflammation in your muscles that in turn will help them get stronger.

We consider this kind of pain when working out “acceptable.” It will generally last for a few days as your body adjusts to the new movements, but it should not hinder you from continuing to exercise.

Sharp or Persistent Pain

While muscle soreness after hiking, weight-lifting, or doing squats is normal, sharp or persistent pain when you are exercising is not something to ignore.

Generally, pain is a signal that you are injured or have a muscle strain. This can happen due to overuse or an overload on a muscle or tendon. Any kind of sharp pain means you should stop exercising immediately. Your body is trying to tell you something, so this is not to time to grin and bare it. Pushing through the pain will not help you get better results, it could hinder your progress if you’re laid up indefinitely.

If you experience any of the following symptoms, we recommend visiting our physicians at Impact Medical Zephyrhills:

Sudden sharp pain
Any pain that prevents that decreases your range of motion
Pain that causes weakness or limping
Pain where you had surgery or a previous injury
Pain with excessive swelling
Pain that is constant and is not relieved by ice, rest, or NSAIDs

Any of these symptoms could mean that you have an injury, and putting more strain on the affected muscles or tendons will cause more pain and possible damage.

How to Manage Pain During and After Exercising

Remember, if you feel any sharp pain when exercising, stop and rest, and if the pain does not go away within a few hours, we recommend making an appointment with a doctor.

Otherwise, if you are experiencing muscle soreness, here are a few tips to help you manage the pain from physical activity:

Modify your exercise program and take rest days in between days where you exert yourself more such as when you are weightlifting
Switch to a different exercise like walking, yoga, biking, etc.
Make sure you are properly warming up and cooling down before and after exercising.
Wear comfortable shoes
Drink more water and stay hydrated during your workout

How Physical Therapy Combats Pain

If you are experiencing aches and pain after a workout and it is holding you back from doing what you love, our physical therapists at Impact Medical Zephyrhills are here to help!

First, we will perform a medical evaluation to ensure that there is nothing more serious that is causing or contributing to your pain. From there, we will design a program that will address and help treat your pain points.

Generally, we teach our clients exercises and stretches that can improve:

Range of motion
Flexibility
Strengthen muscles
Prevent and treat pain

Remember, some aches and soreness are completely normal after exercising, but if you notice severe pain or chronic pain, that’s when we recommend coming in for an evaluation with our team.

Visit Impact Medical Zephyrhills

Are you experiencing more than achiness and soreness when exercising? Don’t push through the pain! Call our friendly physical therapists at Impact Medical Zephyrhills for a consultation! We specialize in pain management and healing injuries and are ready to help you feel your best.

Schedule an appointment by calling (813) 706-5156 today!