Are you finding exercise too painful?

In our modern, typically sedentary and relaxed life, exercising a few times a week is the kind of frequency to aim for. You can keep your organs and your muscles strong and supple with regular fitness spins, and then spend the rest of the time reaping the benefits!

However, when you’re experiencing pain or any kind of discomfort during your workout sessions, this is a hard schedule to hit. Exercise 3 or more times a week when your legs are on fire? It’s not going to happen! And while a bit of soreness the morning after is fine, frequent and consistent pain isn’t something you should try to push through, no matter how much someone tries to tell you to. 

But you still want to live a healthy life – exercise is one of the biggest parts of that, along with eating a healthy diet. You still want to keep your heart rate at a healthy level, and try to eliminate your risk of high blood pressure or cholesterol in the future – diet is important but cannot do it all alone. And even though some pain is getting in the way, you’re determined to beat it! So, what can you do? 

Understand What’s Normal

When you know what pain is normal, you know what you need to worry about. Stiff and sore muscles can be coped with – you can use a magnesium supplement.   Magnesium helps to relax muscles. In fact low magnesium can created a buildup of lactic acid known to cause post- workout pain. YOu can also enjoy an Epsom salt bath after your workouts, even an infrared sauna or use red light therapy. Red light therapy has many clinical studies proving its effectiveness in lowering pain. Icing painful areas also works.

But anything beyond this, or any ‘soreness’ that lasts more than 48 hours, could be a sign that something is wrong. Make sure you know the difference between these types of pain. If you can’t cope,  or it’s too intense you need to stop the exercise you are doing. 

Have More Rest Days

If your finding exercise too painful you may be pushing yourself a bit too hard, the pain could simply stem from a lack of rest in between your workouts. If you’re hitting the gym every single day, for example, you’re not going to be giving your body ample time to recover. 

And as a beginner to fitness, this can be a hard dive into trying to commit to your health. Take a step back, work out every other or every two days, and let yourself lounge and relax in the meantime. You might just notice the pain disappearing! 

Get Some Shoe Inserts

Have you noticed yourself having trouble with walking, or the way you walk? Maybe you’ve always had a different gait and had problems with your legs growing up? Either way, this could be the cause of all your problems. Many people have leg bone and muscle issues that are usually quite harmless, but when put to the test in an exercise setting, flare up and make completing a circuit so much harder. 

So think about getting some shoe inserts. From store bought pads to custom orthotics, these can be placed in your shoes and provide support and cushioning all over the sole of your foot. And when the sole has been aligned with the rest of the body, it becomes much easier to exercise without cramping or feeling like your lower legs are turning to stone! 

Focus on Strengthening Activities

Sometimes pain comes from weak muscles, and attempting to do movements or lifts with them that they’re simply not ready for. As such, you’ll need to focus on strengthening activities and try to work your way up. And always remember to stretch properly before exercising.

Take push ups as a good example here. They can be very hard to accomplish the first few times around, and even when you’ve been working out for a couple months they’re still difficult! But if you build to a ‘proper’ push up by pressing in a standing position against the wall for a while, you’ll have much more success. 

Talk to a Doctor or seek help from a exercise coach

Finally, visit your doctor’s office and ask about the pain. Ask if it’s normal, talk all about what causes the pain, and then get a proper medical verdict. What you’re experiencing when exercising could be a symptom of something bigger, or it could be to do with your technique. It’s hard to know until you actually ask!

Exercise shouldn’t be painful to the point where you need to stop. Be sure to talk to a doctor about potential underlying causes, but also check out the way you’re exercising and if it’s right for you.

This is why it’s also a good idea to involve a fitness coach or professional. Make sure you are exercising properly!

You could be pushing your body too far without realizing it, and already be well on the way to a permanent injury.