Many of us are familiar with the phrase “No pain, no gain” and for some trainers this really does means that you should feel some pain. Now, if you are just beginning a new fitness program, some mild discomfort is only to be expected, but that is certainly not the same thing as pain which may be a sign of health and fitness injuries. Pain is one of nature’s warning signs and you should not disregard it.

Fitness & Health
A good workout routine will test you, but should not damage you. As muscles get used, especially somewhat beyond their usual range, lactic acid, micro-tears and other physiological changes occur that result in muscles being built up stronger than before.

But if you are experiencing back pain, neck aches, knee joint soreness and other symptoms, you should consult an expert. Your technique may be wrong, you may be trying to do too much too soon or you may have a medical problem that should be addressed.

Work up to any vigorous routine slowly depending on age, experience, prior exercise routines and overall fitness. Get muscles warm and limber before cranking it up. Most strains and rips result from being too cold and not stretching, or extending more than you are ready for.
Warm-ups should take at least 15 minutes and include very gentle jogging in place or jumping jacks to get the cardio and lung systems working well. They should include some slow, gradual stretching to get joints lubricated and muscles relaxed and gently lengthened. Warm-ups that are too short can easily lead to stretched or torn cartilage that takes a long time to heal.
Do not let inexperienced trainers, or so-called ‘friends’ embarrass you into believing you have to get out and run five miles two weeks after an injury, surgery or other debilitating condition. Physical therapy and exercise sometimes requires that you work against discomfort, but you should not try to leap tall buildings the first day out.

Every person committed to fitness will want to push himself or herself to achieve excellence. But an attitude that leads to overdoing it is counter-productive to your goal. You are working to improve or maximize health and overall body tone and strength - not to prove that you are ‘mentally tough’.

Before you begin a new routine which involves activities that are unfamiliar, get guidance from an expert. Next to bad warm-ups or overdoing it, incorrect technique is the leading cause of health and fitness injuries. If you do not know how to use a station at the weight machine correctly, do not be afraid to ask. No one is born with this knowledge and anyone who mocks you for ignorance, is not someone whose opinions you have reason to heed.

Be aware of your environment while you go through your routine. It is easy to get into a rhythm, concentrate on your workout and end up crashing into a wall or someone nearby. Jogging especially requires that you pay attention to the surface you run on and to the people and cars around you.

No shoe is going to keep you from slipping on a muddy patch and only awareness and good reflexes can help.

Stay within your comfort zone as you gradually expand it. One of the foremost reasons people give up on exercise is injuries produced by working beyond their capacity. That makes working out no longer fun. Building up, while you build out, to increase your ability to do more, faster will keep you going for years to come.

Your health will thank you for exercising common sense, while you exercise your body.