We’ve all heard this saying when it comes to working out — “No pain. No gain.”
While that isn’t a rule you should always stick to, sometimes it’s good to take that phrase to heart. Pushing yourself during a workout is necessary for achieving your goals, but you definitely don’t want to injure yourself because you worked too hard.
Listening to what your body is trying to tell you about pain is essential to staying healthy during your workouts. To get the most out of an exercise routine, you have to balance working through discomfort and taking a break to let your body recover.
In this blog post, we’ll break down how to know when your body needs rest, when to push past your pain, and where to turn for guidance about setting realistic workout goals.
What Is Your Body Trying to Tell You With Pain?
It’s normal to feel some discomfort during intense exercise. Your body breaks down muscle fiber as you work out, creating the burning sensation most people associate with exercise.
Your body switches into repair mode to rebuild those fibers, which is when the typical post-workout aches and pains show up. When you experience this post-workout pain, letting your body recover is essential.
We suggest taking time off between intense workouts to give yourself time to return to 100% before your next class or gym session.
However, there are moments when your body tries to tell you that you need more than a day off. Keep reading to learn about three common signs that you might be overworked and the best ways to recover from them.
You’re Constantly Feeling Fatigued
It’s normal to feel exhausted after exercise, but persistent fatigue that lasts long after your workout is one way your body is telling you to slow down. Active rest and low-impact activities like walking, taking a short bike ride, or participating in a yoga session may be the perfect solution for your fatigue.
You Have Lasting Muscle Soreness
Unfortunately, your muscles will be sore after a workout — that’s just part of exercise. However, you shouldn’t feel constant muscle pain when you workout regularly.
If you have consistent muscle soreness that lasts more than a week, you might want to add a better warm-up and cooldown routine, incorporate more active recovery, or schedule a much-deserved massage to loosen those tight muscles.
Your Mood Takes a Dip After Workouts
Exercise can wear you out in more ways than one. A typical side effect of regular high-intensity training is improvements in mood, so if you’re experiencing emotional exhaustion after exercise, it’s a warning sign that you’re doing too much.
Taking the time to evaluate your mood, practicing mindfulness, and implementing changes in workout intensity may be just what you need to improve your mood after workouts.
When to Push Past Your Pain
There will be times when your lungs are burning, your muscles feel strained, and you feel like giving up during exercise.
However, workout pain doesn’t mean you should stop. When you drive through those moments, you will increase your exercise tolerance and teach your body that it can grow through difficulty.
Don’t Be Afraid of Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness
There are two common types of muscle soreness that you’ll experience on your fitness journey.
The most typical workout pain is acute muscle soreness, which occurs during and right after your workout journey. Then there’s Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS).
DOMS typically shows up one to two days after your workout, and symptoms often include muscle fatigue, tenderness, and tightness. People at all fitness levels can experience DOMS, and soreness levels vary by person.
When you experience this type of pain, your first instinct may be to take a complete rest day or postpone exercise for a while — but experts suggest otherwise.
Instead of spending a sore day on the couch, exercising through this workout pain can be better for your muscles. Take it easy as you begin your workout, spend more time warming up, and lower your intensity level for a day or two for the best results.
We Have Your Back When It Comes to Workout Pain
Choosing when to listen to your body and when to push through muscle soreness is a challenge. The good news is that you don’t have to figure it out on your own.
When you choose Fit Body Boot Camp, you get more than 30-minute high-intensity interval training classes that help you transform into your fittest self. You gain access to the knowledge and experience of dedicated coaches to guide you on your fitness journey.
Find a location near you to learn more about our workout and how you can become part of the Fit Body Boot Camp community!
