Working out through pain: myths and reality

When you work out, the muscles in your body get stronger, but they also start accumulating tension and become achy. Over time you start feeling sluggish, lose your range of motion, and have to push yourself to go to the gym.

The idea of pushing through pain is not as good as it sounds. It is not the same as "no pain, no gain". By pushing through pain (not just soreness, but pain) at the gym you might hurt yourself, and a lot of people have. What you need to achieve the results that you want and be able to keep going long term, is incorporate stretching, using a foam roller, and releasing muscle tension by getting a massage into your workout routine. This will keep you out of the doctor's office and enable you to have a beautiful, strong, and flexible body.

Massage done right does all three things in one: it stretches individual muscles, separates muscle fibers that stick together during a workout, gets rid of the knots and trigger points, and takes away aches and pains . Massage relaxes your nervous and muscular systems (in that order), and enables you to get deeper sleep. It does not turn your muscles into mush, it gets rid of hypertension, aches and pains, and helps you keep going.

The reason why you started working out is because you wanted to make your body stronger, to be able to do more and enjoy life. I am sure that pain and stiffness were not part of the equation. You did not want to have to turn the whole upper body just to turn your head, or have to sit down to put your socks and shoes on.

Let me help you achieve the body you want and be able to keep it long term without stiffness and pain.

Yulia Avdeenko,

LMT, NMT

MM44292