Pain Or Pleasure? Which One Is Your Workout Giving You?

They say “No pain, no gain” but how much pain are we talking here?

By: Taren Vaughan

Breaking into the exercise game can be a very exciting time for us. After months of putting off getting that gym membership, you have finally decided to make some real moves towards dropping those pounds that have been haunting you and keeping you out of your favorite pair of jeans. And as our enthusiasm to lose weight can be at a all time high, our rush to get it off with the quickness can turn our supposed to be pleasure filled quest into a painful experience that our bodies will soon regret.

So how can you decipher pain from pleasure when it comes to your workout routine? There are a few things you will notice that may let you know when you are going a little too hard with the workouts or if you are doing just the right amount.

Joint pain is at an all time high

Having chronic joint pain is apart of some our everyday lives, with or without a treadmill to hold accountable for it. But for those who spend hours on end, day after day, running and jumping on hard surfaces with no real rest periods in between, can expect some dreadful knee and back pain to shortly follow. Yes, you will have those days when every muscle in your body is sore as it can be. Weeks and weeks worth of that though? There’s a problem with that.

Pain with a capital “P”.

You begin to lack energy to do simple things

Exercising usually leaves you feeling refreshed and on top of the world. Okay, maybe I am saucing it up a bit but you are supposed to feel good after you’re done. However, when it gets to the point where you have to muster up enough energy just to simply make it from the gym to your car in the parking lot, something is seriously wrong with that picture. No workout, no matter what anyone tells you, should leave your body physically drained to the point where you can barely function.

Pain to the fullest.

Exercising is not a dreaded activity for you

When you are first starting an exercise routine or are coming back on the scene from months of being away, stepping on a treadmill can be painful, mentally. You are not in the mood to jump up and down and you lack the motivation to do anything that requires you to break out into a true sweat. Once you have overcome that obstacle of stubbornness, you will soon find that there are ways to make working out an enjoyable process for you.

Once exercising becomes a fun thing for you to do, it is much more pleasurable for you. Simply put.

Slow Yet Steady Weight Loss

Contrary to belief, rapid weight loss is only for those who are not trying to find a quick, yet non-permanent solution to their problem. Now which person are you? Are you trying to get those pounds off and keep them off? Or are you merely trying to squeeze into that dress for just one night? Hopefully, you are the one who wants to drop the weight for good. And if you are, slow yet progressive weight loss is what you will see when your workout routine is really worth something. And it won’t require you to load yourself up with ice packs after you’re done either.

Ah, now there is some pleasure for you.

I know sometimes you just can’t wait to get those extra pounds off. But by all means, take your time. Don’t put yourself in a position to where you put your body in excruciating and unnecessary pain when you don’t have to. Yeah, summer might be right around the corner. But sacrificing your body to get into that bikini is not the way to go though.