Why Is No Pain-No Gain”? – The Myth Of Exercise

No pain-No gain is a motto many associates with working out and exercising to achieve your body goals. However, how much pain is good? Or is any pain good? – what if the entire belief system is a myth? Let us read to know more about this prevalent phrase. 

Does Exercise Have To Be Painful? 

A body, when it does any form of activity, requires the movement of muscles and while exercising you are targeting specific areas that you either want to be toned or bulk up. You can work out to build strength, or you may be working out to reduce some extra kilos. Your muscles are in movement, which means you might feel burning or soreness.

This is a normal reaction in the process of exercising, and it will stop once you finish your set and cool down. If you have just started working out, your muscles will need to get used to exercising, so it is normal to feel sore for a few days. According to several training experts and doctors, this “pain” should be the only type of pain you may experience while exercising. 

Now let us look at when that pain becomes a red flag

• A sharp or acute pain that shoots through any part of your body while you exercise can be an indication of something else 
• A pain that refuses to go away after days and does not seem like a normal “burn” or soreness that one experiences after working out 
• A pain that may be causing you from performing normal body functions like getting up, walking, or moving any extremities. 

This is when the “no pain- no gain” motto should be kept aside. You should seek medical intervention rather than pushing through it and risking a serious injury or exacerbating an existing medical condition. 

Your exercise and workout should not have pain as the parameter for success. Pain does not necessarily guarantee the best results or the only way to gauge those results. Exercise should make you feel better both physically and mentally and not become the cause of pain. The no pain-no gain motto is a misleading concept that pushes people into reaching their extreme limits. 

Overdoing your exercise or pushing your body to meet unreasonable goals may seem like you are gaining from the pain, but in that process, you will compromise your body. Exercise and workout injuries can lead to serious issues ranging from sprains to fractures to even severe cases of partial paralysis.

It is always a good idea to chart your routine with a trainer or an expert who will guide you to reach your body goals. They will advise you to work according to the best of your abilities, and even when you are pushing your limits, it will be under expert guidance, and you will not be exposed to any injuries.

Your fitness journey should not be painful; of course, it will cause you muscle soreness, and you might even get exhausted, but you will get back up the next day and go that extra mile- albeit without any pain to limit you. 

Conclusion

Of course, one should keep moving and keep an active lifestyle to remain healthy, but there should be no pain in that equation- at least not the kind that may end up crippling you for good. So, the theory of no pain- no gain should be taken with a grain of salt while working out. At best, you should know your body, its needs, how much it can handle, and know just when to give up and just when to keep working out now, that is a healthy workout pattern.