how much pain is too much?

rebeccamurphy12979

Hey fellow pain-bearers, I was talking with a trainer today about having active rest days in between hard work outs and doing back to back classes at the gym, and he said over working is where injuries happen and he doesn't recommend double classes. I was frustrated by this because I feel like I am in pain almost all the time, whether I exercise hard or not. If its not one joint its another. And I know from experience that I don't lose weight well if I am not having at least a few hard exercise sessions a week. Of course the trainer is young and fit, so I was wondering if any of you have words of wisdom/ experiences for me.

quzzdragon

Your trainer is probably talking about acute pain, not your chronic pain. If you're in constant pain because of your classes, you're doing something wrong. Measure your levels of pain before and after workouts - use the 1-10 scale doctors always use for consistency. That might help you figure out what's too much and what's too little.

You can also try doing multiple classes or gym sessions but start with one intense and one relaxed session and slowly increase your intensity or weight (depending on what exercises you're doing). Using your pain scale and your level of fatigue, find the balance that feels good to your muscles, your pain level, and your weight goals.

rebeccamurphy12979

thanks, quzzdragon, I meant i am in constant pain because of my osteoarthritis and bursitis, not from exercise. as a matter of fact while I am exercising I am rarely in pain, and have great stamina and energy, so its hard to not take all the classes i want since they make me feel so good. I did well today though. I worked out with my trainer and took a 30 minute core class, but skipped the following 45 minute high intensity circuit so I could buy some healthy food at the grocery store and do some laundry. Balance, balance, balance.