Hi guys, Kris from Custom Fitness here, your Amarillo personal trainer. Today we’re going to be wrapping up the two part series on how to know when the pain is too much. Now be sure to read part one if you haven’t already at the link here: And as always, if you have any questions about today’s blog then please give us a call at (806)-322-3188
So in part one we were talking about treating the issue. You have to recognize the difference between what is an issue and what isn’t an issue. But sometimes after that first step you’re not quite as in the safe zone as you would like to be. Today we’re going to be talking about the next two steps.
The second step is rest. And I know, everybody hates that word. We’re Americans! We have things to do! We don’t have any time to rest! But sometimes we have to.
So this would be a great time to maybe take a day or two off. Or maybe you can change up your workout focus. If it’s you leg that’s bothering you, then maybe you can do some upper body and core work that day. If it’s your arm that’s bothering you, then you can do core and maybe legs that day. You want to be doing something to take the focus out of that area that is hurt. You don’t want to be allowing that hurt area to be doing anything, and you want to give it rest. In a day or two you should be able to feel some difference to know if the rest is working for you. And if it is, then continue it if you need to. If it isn’t working, then you are going to be moving on to different options.
So, changing that workout focus kind of take the definition of “rest” and changes it up for some people. Most people think rest means laying and bed and doing nothing. And rest can also be complete rest where you don’t do anything depending on the severity of what’s going on. But it can be as little as changing your workout focus or modifying the workout. Maybe instead of doing your full workout, you go for a walk instead. Or maybe instead of doing your squats and lunges, you switch to a different exercise. Or maybe instead of doing a cardio based workout, you do more of a core toning workout.
There’s a lot of different options on how you can switch that up, and that’s where a trained professional can really be of help to you. During times like this, not only can they tell you when is a good time to workout, or even more important when it isn’t a good time to be working out. And then they also can tell you how to modify what you’re doing when you have the ability to keep going.
So the first step is to treat, the second step is to either rest or modify, and now let’s get to the third. If you don’t see any change after a few days of following those steps, or if it’s been a week or so and you don’t feel any better, then that is the time to go look for some help.
If it’s been hurting, if it’s still the same, if it’s getting worse, then you have to go get help. And you can always go for help earlier on if that’s what you want to do, there’s no harm in that. But you may be doing extra steps for no reason. You might have a doctor that looks at you and tells you that you’re sore.
We’re okay with a little bit of discomfort, but pain is never okay. Pain is not something to work through. You could end up seriously hurting yourself longterm, not just in the moment, it could go on for years. So you definitely want to get that taken care of.
So who should you go to for help?
Well, as always it depends on what the situation is. But the people that I like to utilize are people like a good massage therapist. I also like to go to a good chiropractor depending on what kind of pain that I’m in. A physician is always a good bet. And sometimes even a physical therapist. They’re good at being able to evaluate what kind of injury you have and what’s going on with it. They can also help you to figure out which doctor is the best to go to if you end up needing to go that route.
You definitely want to take that into account the next time that you go into a pretty heavy workout or a new workout. Listen to your body, pay attention to it, and make sure that the discomfort that you’re feeling is just discomfort. You want to be sure that it’s just muscle soreness-that it’s not a big deal, and that it will work itself out. If it starts to have some fever, some swelling, or you notice that debilitating soreness where you can’t move for a week, then you may have something more serious going on.
So that’s going to wrap up our two parter on when to know if the pain is too much.
So, guys, I want you to remember to always be aware of your body. Sometimes it really does take practice to know when something is different or wrong, but just keep listening. And always let your trainer know whenever you are experiencing real pain during a workout so that they can modify it. I know from being a personal trainer in Amarillo how important communication is with my clients. I always want my clients to communicate with me whenever something isn’t feeling right.
So, if you’re wanting the accountability and help with creating an action plan to see results, or are wanting to someone to help create a workout plan to push you to your greatest potential, then that’s what we’re here for. We have an entire team of dedicated professionals to help you with your health and fitness goals. To get your consultation set up, give us a call at 806-322-3188 or email us at info@customfitness.biz At Custom Fitness, we are YOUR personal trainers in Amarillo, Texas. Have a great day.