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No Pain, No Gain? Are You Crazy??? 12/10/2007 7:55:33 PM
Ever wondered why your body feels sore after a workout or you feel a burning sensation in your muscles during a workout? It's not just sore because it's been ages since you last exercised, although that could be a reason. It's not even that you had a "tough" workout and finally completed a set of 10 close-grip, or diamond, push-ups. However, that, too, could be a reason. The soreness or burning sensation in your muscles is caused by a build up of lactic acid.
Lactic acid isn't anything that will harm you. Its purpose is to help repair muscle tissue and is created naturally in the body. Combined with other hormones in your body, lactic acid works to provide energy. After a workout, it's not a good idea to work the same muscles the next day. Your muscles are more susceptible to injury if you try this approach. You should, however, not wait more than 48 hours to work those same muscle groups again. The soreness will eventually go away, but your desire to be healthy and live longer won't.
Work through the soreness, but whoever said "no pain, no gain" is nutty. Pain signifies something is wrong with your body and you should seek medical treatment. If not, you will cause additional damage. Here's a great way to tell the difference between a "burn" and "pain" when working out.
Pains are oftentimes experienced when you have poor form, are overreaching during an exercise, or you're completing an exercise that aggravates a preexisting injury. A burn is more often felt when you have the proper form and you're isolating certain muscle groups in order to meet your desired goals.
For additional information on workout routines that make sense, look for The Write Fit in early 2008.
