“No pain, no gain!” I’m sure you’ve all heard this comment in one context or another. It has been etched into our heads for as long as we’ve been able to pick up a weight or run that first lap around the track. There’s probably a mental image of a huge drill sergeant yelling in your face, letting you know that his 2 year old daughter can lift harder and heavier than you. This mantra has been the essence of exercise and going that extra mile since Rocky ran up those fabled steps, while Eye of the Tiger played in the background (well this is when it started for me).
Now that I’m a bit older and have a tad more experience under my belt, I can confidently tell you that this mantra will lead you down the path of chronic and often irritating injuries. You may be able to get away with it when you are young and injury-free, but when you have an injury, this whole mantra has to be thrown out the door.
Recently, I have gotten several questions related to this subject. Many clients of mine have asked, “If the exercises hurt, should I be working through the pain?” To answer this, let us first look at the definition on pain. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, pain is defined as 1) punishment and 2) localized physical suffering associated with bodily disorder (as a disease or an injury); also : a basic bodily sensation induced by a noxious stimulus, received by naked nerve endings, characterized by physical discomfort (as pricking, throbbing, or aching).
The short, easy answer to this question is NO. You should never exercise through and past the point of pain, especially if you have an underlying injury/condition. Webster’s 2nd definition of pain is the body’s way of telling you something is wrong. There is a noxious stimulus that is irritating the body, which will lead to damage and inflammation of those structures if that stress is continued. For those in Physical Therapy programs, this is one of the biggest causes of setbacks. Many clients tend to push a little too much because they believe that unless there is some pain, then they are not gaining anything from the exercise.
People have different perceptions of “pain.” The feeling you get a few days or the day after a good workout is often referred to as pain, especially when you try to stretch or perform activities requiring those same muscles. This feeling is more than likely delayed onset muscles soreness (DOMS), but many people perceive this as pain. The feeling while you are doing prolonged activity or trying to push through the last few repetitions of a workout is also referred to as painful. This is really a “muscle burn” - where your muscles are working in an anaerobic state building up lactic acid. I am not saying that there are not “painful,” as everyone has a different view of what pain feels like. However, the DOMS or muscle burn is not the pain as defined above which is detrimental to your health. As a therapist, I try my best to explain the difference to my clients, so they know what is normal reaction to a workout and what is detrimental.
It’s all a MYTH! Exercises, whether they are rehab or workouts, should never hurt. All of your movements should be pain free, as to not cause or further any injuries. If it is punishment and soreness you’re looking for, then go right ahead and keep on pushing. Many people get confused as to where the line is. The best tip I can give you is that if it really hurts, stop. Slight muscle burn and soreness is expected, but when something is catching or pinching, you will know it, it just doesn’t feel right.
Hope this clears up the confusion with the “No pain, No gain” mantra. If you have any questions or are looking for something to work you to punishment, you can email me at Sancho@JointVenturesPT.com. Thanks for reading!