YOUR BODY KNOWS BEST

I confess. I used to love to tan. Or should I say, being tanned. The process, for my fair skin, required patience because I burned easily. I needed to build my color slowly (this was before skin cancer awareness). On occasion, I burned. Too much sun too soon. And it hurt. Disappointed, I had to decide whether to go back out in the sun, or wait. I wanted that tan NOW, and waiting wasn't an option. I made the mistake of burning my burn to a brilliant red, and then it really hurt. I had to retreat from the sun - big time.

So what does this have to do with exercise? Well, let's draw a parallel. A client holds his shoulder or massages his knee and tells me it hurts. I look, listen and then ask questions. Clearly, my client is experiencing PAIN. Then my client asks me if he should exercise anyway. After all, he doesn't want to stop his progress.

Flashback to my sun worshipping days. "Would you lay out in the sun after you just got sunburned?" I ask. I watch for a wince as he envisions the painful burn-on-burn. We agree that a break from exercising that body part would be prudent.

Pain is your body's way of saying something is wrong in anatomy land. For some folks, though, the distinction between actual pain and muscle soreness is vague, at best. Muscle soreness, for example, can occur within 24-48 hours after exercise and should diminish within 24-48 hours after onset. Though not always comfortable, normal muscle soreness is the result of stressing your muscles through exercise. Lactic acid build-up (a bi-product of energy burned within the muscle) and/or microscopic tears (part of creating stronger muscle fibers) are usually the culprits. Pain on the other hand, can be due to inflammation or injury to a joint, muscle or connective tissue. This sensation doesn't usually subside quickly and can increase in intensity.

Normal muscle soreness should respond positively to resuming your exercise routine. Progress gradually, though. Pain, however can mean many things. Rarely is it your body saying "More! More!" It requires rest or easing back on your exercise of that body part. And if the pain doesn't subside or gets worse, then a doctor's visit is in order.

So listen to your body. With a sunburn, the message is visible. Inside your body, the messages aren't as blatant. It talks to you IF you are willing to listen. Then, you need to respect what it says. Remember, your body knows best!