“No pain, no gain”
-is NOT the best message to follow when you’re hitting the gym. Pushing yourself too far, using the wrong equipment and ignoring your body’s need for recovery can lead to injuries. If you’re not careful, you could give yourself some long-term damage.
Here are three common exercise-related pains and the solutions that can fix them:
Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome:
Patellofemoral pain syndrome is one of the most common running injuries out there — it’s often called “runner’s knee” because of this. Stress from repetitive running on hard terrain irritates the kneecap. It can be painful during the workout or long after you’ve finished.
The Solution:
You could be in pain because you’re pushing yourself too far with your runs. Try to cut back on the distance and stick to easier terrains. Flat and soft surfaces won’t impact your knees as much as pavement.
Another solution that you could try is gait training and rehabilitation. Your running form could be what’s causing your knees so much trouble. You should stop by our homepage to see how we conduct video gait analysis to help people improve their steps.
DOMS
You want to feel the burn while you’re doing a bench press, but you don’t want to deal with that sensation days later. If this scenario is familiar, you are dealing with delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) — challenging weightlifting workouts create micro-tears in the muscles, which become inflamed within 24 to 48 hours.
The Solution:
When you’re dealing with DOMS, the main thing you should do is relax. Pushing through the soreness to tackle another heavy workout will make the pain worse and heighten your risk of injury. If you can’t skip a day of exercise, replace some of your high-intensity workout plans with low-intensity exercises like leisurely walks or swimming laps at the pool.
If you don’t want DOMS to come back, you should cut down the difficulty level of your workouts. You can reduce the weight you lift, the reps you make or the amount of time you spend in the gym.
Shin Splints
Another running injury that you might endure is medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS) — you will probably know it by its common name “shin splints.” You’ll realize you have the problem when you get a stabbing sensation in your shins as you run.
The Solution:
When you feel like you have shin splints, don’t keep pursuing the workout. Stop the run, take a rest and put ice packs on your shins for 20 minutes to conquer any swelling.
MTSS is caused by overuse of leg muscles. Controlling footwear or insoles can help prevent overuse of your medial leg muscles. You are probably getting this shooting pain because you are wearing the wrong shoes. You should swap your regular sneakers for a pair of orthopedic running shoes. Additional shock absorption is one of the benefits that custom orthotics provide so that athletes don’t have to worry about injury and discomfort ruining their running progress.
If you’re not sure what orthotics to pick out, come meet the team here at Feet First Clinic to discuss your exercise problems and find options that work for your physical needs. We will do our best to find the best fit for you and your fitness routine.
It’s great that you’re motivated to improve your physical fitness, but it’s important to know when to pull back. When you’re frequently in pain and discomfort, you need to make some changes in your routine, whether it’s with the intensity, the form or the footwear.
