Should you exercise with muscle soreness or if you are feeling pain? This is one of the most common questions our patients ask us. Well, there are a few questions that we need to ask, as therapists, to really figure out the cause. Is it actual pain you are feeling or is it more of muscle soreness? First of all, is the pain felt within the joint or in the muscle? What kind of pain is it? Are you feeling it through the whole movement of just at the end ? Also the intensity of pain gives us a lot of information.

man squatting with a barbell

How do I know if I should continue exercise with muscle soreness?

It is important to point out here that you should not be feeling any sharp pain at any point while exercising. Yes, the muscle can quiver and if you haven’t exercised in a while, you’ll definitely “feel” the muscle work. But at no point should this translate to PAIN. If you are in pain, it means that you are either lifting too heavy or not doing the exercise correctly. At this point, you need to consult with your Physiotherapist or Exercise Physiologist to check your program. Our therapists will take you to the gym and assess your program.

Unfortunately exercise is one of the first things people stop doing when they feel pain. Which is allright If you are unsure of what’s causing the pain.

How can we help assess muscle soreness?

Picture of a therapist showing exercise with a gym ball

If you are in pain while exercising it’s important to talk to your Physio immediately so they can modify the exercise. According to the Australian Physiotherapy association,

“Your physiotherapist can help you design your fitness program. They will consider your goals (losing weight, improve your bone density and strength, control your sugar levels, reduce your risk of falls or for some other reason), as well as your current level of physical fitness and any injuries or conditions preventing you from being active.”

Our Physio will ask you some questions to find out if you haven’t injured a muscle or joint. They will then let you know whether to continue or see them first before progressing. Our Exercise Physiologist will in fact go with you to the gym and assess your form. It is so important to progress slowly and lift the right amount of weight to prevent injuries.