How to Identify a Good Pain Verses a Bad Pain
Have you ever been in a fitness class and the instructor says ” come on guys, no pain no gain?” I absolutely despise this statement. Not only is it old and dated philosophy, but we know it is simply not true. You do not have to experience pain to progress. Some pain you experience in class is a GOOD pain and some are a BAD pain. (Ok, an uncomfortable burn is good actually great but pain not so much.)
Learning to identify and listen to your body is the most important attribute you can obtain when it comes to movement. Through Pilates, I have learned to slow down and analyze my body as I go through the motions. And, as a high energy person, this is super challenging for me.
As a young kid, I messed up my knee in gymnastics. I didn’t pay any attention to it, therefore ignoring the pain. I continued dancing and taking classes that I “pushed through” in my 20’s. I suffered Migraines and daily headaches concluding it was just my new norm until I stumbled upon Pilates.
I tell you this because I know a lot of people that think the pain in the body is just a part of getting old or just what happens when you work out. But I assure you, MOVEMENT is supposed to make you feel BETTER!
So often we make dangerous decisions by not modifying exercises with the assumption that we can push through the slight pain and it will go away. THIS IS THE BIGGEST MISTAKE YOU CAN MAKE! Sometimes, a slight pain can create great damage. Therefore I urge you to learn the difference between good and bad pain.
Why this is important.
Well let’s face it, If you have an injury you gain weight, get depressed and lose a part of your life you once enjoyed. Sounds drastic right? But the reality is THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENS!
The pain in your body may be telling you a story that you can rewrite if you listen.
So, What is Bad Pain?
Bad pain is something that when you stop doing the movement, the pain stays. For example, you do a squat and feel an uncomfortable pain in the knee. It may feel stiff, or sharp, around the top or behind the knee. This is generally not a good pain. Completly different than a Muscular pain. I’ll get to that later.
Or you are laying on your back and lift the head in a crunch position. Suddenly, you feel neck pain that is subtly stressed you think maybe I just need to strengthen my neck. While that may be the case, often the abdominals are not engaged enough and the shoulders are not high enough leaving all the pressure sitting in your neck. All your going to get from that is a nice headache.
To fix this problem modify. Try lowering the head for a few reps then lifting again. Build up to keeping the head and shoulders off the ground. ( enough to where the shoulder blades are barely on the ground.)
What is Good Pain?
In Pilates, a good pain is a pain that goes away once you stop the movement. Example, you do a squat and you start to feel fatigue in either your back or front of the legs. It’s burning so you take a rest and the muscle starts to feel as if its melting and the pain goes away.
So here is where it gets sketchy. Sometimes we participate in a movement and it’s hard to differentiate when both the muscle and joint are in pain. So to stay safe I know sounds boring…No matter what, if the pain does not go away once your body is in neutral YOU MUST GO TO A MODIFIED POSITION until you can identify the pain.
There are so many ways we can injure ourselves staying focused on the body will eliminate most injuries.
This is a lot of work on your part but it’s your body!
I know your thinking, really forget this I cant go slow. I have goals here! I need to lose weight, get in shape, look great for summer, get in that dress, or just clear my mind. All fantastic reasons to workout. However, my goal for you is to be able to continue to workout for the long haul. To be able to run with your kids, act like your 30 when you’re near 60. To be able to stay thin and keep moving. To have an abundantly healthy life.
All the things that I’m sure you want too. My last thought for you. Think back to a time when you had the Flu or a terrible cold. I would put money on, that all you wanted was to get back to your normal life. That is what an injury is like except it takes much longer to heal than a cold or flu.
Remember, in order to build strength and lean out the Pilates way, you must modify until the movement become conscious and can maintain a mind-body connection.
Be Mindful
Stephanie
