Pain is no exercise gain!

Do you really believe that if there's no pain there's no gain when it comes to exercise? What's true is that really challenging yourself with a workout that's going to test you to the limit can be incredibly rewarding. However, pain can lead to injury, whether from overstretching yourself or from overtraining. The result can be anything but a gain; instead creating a real setback as you tackle recovery and are knocked off your training course.

Enjoy your workout

When people talk about no pain no gain they are really talking about suffering in the name of a good outcome. While you may feel as if you have been put through your paces after a particularly tough workout, there is a misconception about exercise that it is only working if you are disliking it or finding it tough. Yes, you do need grit and determination to get past obstacles and reach beyond a fitness plateau, but really, exercise can be less about pain and more about enjoyment and dare we say it, fun too!

Here's how to enjoy your workout:

• Change your mindset - You may be serious about getting fit but you don't have to adopt a no-fun policy when it comes to your attitude and approach. Exercise is about wellbeing and that means body and mind fitness. Adding unnecessary mental pressure and stress to get fit is counter-productive.
• Choose a fitness program you like - There are so many effective styles of working out and training programs, that really you can personalise and pick and choose your fitness path. Look at strength training and cardio work and choose the type of exercise that suits both your goals and you.
• Set some goals to add motivation and direction - Talking of goals, it helps if you set a few at least as this can add some focus that keeps your interest levels up when you are having a tough workout. Remember, it is not just about the destination but the journey too!
• Focus on balance and lifestyle - If you are determined, it is easy to go full-pelt into exercise and come out the other end exhausted and even injured. Working out needs to be incorporated into your life in a balanced way; an important and intrinsic part of your life, not an all-compassing obsession or fleeting, manic activity that will leave you feeling drained.
• Feel inspired and confident - Meeting other people who keep fit and seeing positive changes in your own mind and body along the way can be truly inspirational. Exercise can inspire confidence too and with so much positivity to benefit from, there's no reason to not enjoy your workout!

How to avoid pain and injury when you exercise

Pain certainly does not lead to gain if you injure yourself and have to abandon your fitness plans. So how is it best to protect against exercise injuries? Follow our quick guide:

• Warm up - Dynamic warm-ups are better than static stretches so slowly get moving before you really pump up the pace and get your sweat on.
• Listen to your body - You don't need to be a fitness professional to know when your body is saying: "STOP!". If you feel pain during an exercise then take it down a level or stop altogether. There is a huge, huge difference between pushing yourself further and going too far. Foster a more intuitive body-mind connection and listen!
• Use your logic - Listen, if you have never run a marathon before and never really had any running experience, do you think it is a good idea to just launch on in there? Probably not. You could end up hurting yourself physically and chances are you won't complete the course so could come away with some hurt pride too! Be sensible about working out.
• Don't compare yourself to others - There will always be someone who seems to be achieving more. While a healthy competitive spirit can add some challenge into certain fitness regimes, the fact is that you don't know where someone else is at, so stick with what you are doing and make exercise a personal triumph.
• Don't run before you can walk - Really this is about not leaping in too much, but also about learning how to do exercises properly. Sometimes, enthusiasm and competitiveness can lead to missing out on the basics. Unfortunately, though. if you don't follow proper form you are putting yourself at risk of injury and at the very least your workout won't be as effective.
• Talk to exercise experts - We are on hand to guide you to workout properly and reach your goals effectively, as well as have an enjoyable exercise session too.

Get in touch to feel all the gain of a good workout without any of the pain.