Blog

Hurt So Good?

June 13, 2013



Many of my clients will come to me and measure the success of their last workout by how “sore” they were afterwards and talk to me about how many days they were “sore.”   The more I learn in this industry the more I try to think outside the box. What is that feeling of soreness and IS it necessarily a good thing? As I thought about this a little further, I compared it to other feelings of pain and discomfort that most of us can relate to in some way.

 

Let’s think of how the body works when you sprain your ankle. You feel sore, right? Muscle inflammation is a condition characterized by swelling, stiffness, non-specific pain, and muscle soreness or weakness. This is the body’s natural protective mechanism letting you know that your body was not strong enough to handle the level of stress that you just applied to your system. As this time may not present any signs of a lasting injury, repeatedly overloading your system causing “soreness” may not be making you stronger. It may be making you more vulnerable to injury later on down the line.

 

Have you noticed any nagging pain or discomfort in certain areas as your years progress? Are you starting to feel like you are limited in certain activities? Do you workout with the mindset of heavier lifting is better?

 

There is no guarantee that these issues are correlating, however it is definitely something to think about. You control your exercises. Don’t let your exercises control you.

 

The Author


Karen Bobos, MSed

Karen M. Bobos, MSed, has been in the fitness industry since 1996 and feels her highest accomplishments are those results achieved by her clients through her guidance. She educates clients that there is no trick to being healthy, no magic pills, but rather optimal health is achieved through eating right and moving your body.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *