Exercising With Pain

Is it OK to exercise with pain?

There is no question that regular exercise is good for you. It keeps your body healthy and helps to prevent illnesses, but what if you are already experiencing pain? Can you still exercise and reap the benefits? The answer is yes, but you need to take certain precautions. Here are a few tips on how to exercise with pain.

We find in the clinic that our clients will generally fall into one of two categories when it comes to exercising and pain:

Know when to hold em

Either you’re in group A - you’ve suffered an injury, and have decided not to do any exercise at all until it's feeling better. Sometimes this is because you're worried that you’re going to make it worse, or maybe you feel disheartened that you can't exercise like normal so you don't feel like training at all. The problem with this way of thinking is that you’re not using the time when you’re injured to your advantage. If you're not careful, you can end up getting weaker and more deconditioned, which will only make it harder to return to your previous level of fitness once you're healed.

So what can you do if you find yourself in group A? The first step is to listen to your body. If something is really painful, then it's probably not a good idea to exercise on that day. However, if the pain is more of a niggle or annoyance, then there is no reason why you can't carry on - maybe with a small modification or two to your training. It's important to remember that pain is not always a bad thing - in fact, some research suggests that a certain amount of pain can actually help to improve your performance.

Just because you're in pain, doesn't mean you have to stop exercising altogether. With a few modifications, you can still get a great workout in.

Keep on movin’

Know when to run

Or you’re in group B - the complete opposite. You want to carry on as usual despite injury, or maybe even increase your exercise levels because you’re worried about detraining, or you think that if you just push through the pain it will go away. Group B, you are more likely to cause further injury by doing this and it's important to be careful.

Again, the first step is to listen to your body. If something is really painful, then it's not a good idea to exercise on that day. However, if the pain is more of a niggle or annoyance, then there is no reason why you can't carry on - maybe with a small modification or two to your training.

One modification that we often recommend is reducing the intensity of your workouts while you're injured. For example, if you normally run 5 miles at a pace of 7 minutes per mile, then you could instead run 3 miles at 8 minutes per mile. This will help you to stay active without putting too much stress on your body.

It's also important to focus on quality over quantity. Just because you can't exercise for as long as you'd like, doesn't mean your workouts have to suffer. In fact, studies have shown that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) can be just as effective as traditional endurance training, even when done for shorter periods of time.

So if you're in group B, then remember to focus on quality over quantity and reduce the intensity of your workouts while you're injured.

Exercising with pain can be tricky, but by following these tips, you can stay active without making your injury worse. Just remember to listen to your body and focus on quality over quantity.

So which one is right? Well, both and neither to be perfectly honest. It depends on the individual situation and what your goals are. If you want to continue training despite your injury then you need to listen to your body and make sure you don't do anything that aggravates it. Equally, if you're injured and just want to rest up until it's feeling better then that's fine too. Just make sure you don't use your injury as an excuse for a complete break from exercise, as this will only make it harder to get back into the swing of things when you're healed.

It is generally safe to work through a relatively small amount of discomfort whilst exercising, as long as:

1 - it settles back down quickly, and

2 - it continues to get better, not worse, over time.

What About Exercise and Chronic Pain

When most people think of pain, they think of acute pain, which is the kind of pain you feel when you stub your toe or strain a muscle. But for many people, pain is a chronic condition that can last for months or even years.

Chronic pain can exist despite there being no physical tissue damage present whatsoever in the particular region that is in pain - Pain can be extremely complex.

Chronic pain can have a profound effect on a person's life, impacting their ability to work, participate in hobbies, and even spend time with family and friends. The constant presence of pain can also have negative effects on your mental health - leading to feelings of isolation and depression, as well as sleep disturbance and poor overall health.

Because chronic pain can be both physically and emotionally draining, it's important to seek treatment from a qualified healthcare provider. With proper care, chronic pain doesn't have to take over your life.

When you're in chronic pain, the last thing you probably want to do is get up and move around. However, research has shown that exercise can actually help to reduce chronic pain. One study found that patients who participated in regular exercise sessions experienced less pain and disability than those who didn't exercise.

The benefits of exercise are believed to be due in part to the release of endorphins, which are chemicals that have pain-relieving properties. In addition, exercise helps to improve joint function and increase muscle strength, both of which can reduce pain.

One of the other key benefits of exercise on chronic pain is the effect on the central nervous system - pain is processed in the brain, and exercise has been shown to change the way that the brain processes pain signals.

So, if you're in chronic pain, it's worth giving the exercise a try - just be sure to start slowly and increase your activity level gradually. And as always, if you experience any sharp or worsening pain, stop and see your doctor.