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Q: Should you 'push through pain' when you exercise? A: No. A certain level of discomfort is expected, but pain is often a sign you need to stop. Our expert: Carly Ryan and Dr Nathan Johnson
Have your say If you feel pain during exercise do you keep going, or pull the pin? Conditions of Use
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Most of us experience niggling aches or pains when we're working out, and when it comes to exercise there's no denying sometimes it can hurt. But if we stop working out at the first sight of discomfort, we'd probably never do any exercise at all. So when it comes to pain, when do you tell yourself to stop griping and keep going – and when should you rest?
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Carly Ryan, exercise physiologist at Exercise and Sports Science Australia, says it's important to differentiate between "pain" and "discomfort" when working up a sweat.
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"Effort and discomfort go together and that's what most people would call good pain – you generally expect to feel some level of discomfort," she explains.
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"If it becomes actual pain – burning or stabbing or sharp – that's not a good sign and you should stop." Dr Nathan Johnson, senior lecturer in exercise and sports science at the University of Sydney, says while discomfort from feeling fatigue during exercise is normal, acute pain associated with injury or illness is not. "If you're feeling joint or musculoskeletal pain, or anything associated with chest pain, then that's an indication to stop exercising immediately," he warns.
Knowing the difference Both Ryan and Johnson agree the easiest way to tell if you are feeling pain or discomfort is to just cease the exercise.
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"A little bit of a burn that goes away when your muscles stop working is often just a result of the exercise, so it's okay to continue," Ryan explains. "But if it continues and you're getting, say, a sharp pain in your knees or you feel a painful twinge in your hamstrings that affects your ability to keep moving, then it's most likely pain because you've overdone it, so you need to stop."
Lactic acid The most common form of pain or discomfort we feel during strenuous exercise is a burning sensation in our lungs or muscles that goes away shortly after we cease the activity. This is caused by a build-up of lactic acid. It's this lactic acid that causes the light burning in your lungs during a jog or in your muscles when you lift weights. Lactic acid is a by-product of the process your body goes through when it needs to create energy more quickly than it normally does, such as when you are doing strenuous exercise. Your working muscles usually generate energy aerobically (ie using oxygen), but when you push yourself during a workout and sufficient oxygen isn't available then they start generating energy anaerobically, and lactic acid is a byproduct of this process. The harder you work, the bigger the build-up of lactic acid. However, the fitter you are, the better your body will be at clearing the lactic acid, so eventually you'll be able to train harder for longer. Serious athletes train to push through intense burning, but Ryan says for us mere mortals, continue as long as you're able to breathe regularly and aren't feeling any pain in your joints or sharp twinges in your muscles. "We want people to push themselves a little bit outside of their comfort zone, but if it's starting to feel wrong and you're questioning it, then you're better off stopping and seeking the advice of an appropriately qualified exercise professional," she says.
Delayed-onset muscle soreness If you've ever done a strenuous workout for the first time, or after you've had some time off from exercise, converted by Web2PDFConvert.com