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When it comes to muscle soreness, there is pain that is tolerable and that you can work through, and then there is pain that you need to listen to. Not recognizing the differences between these two situations is extremely problematic because there are some injuries that, if continually aggravated, could prove to require an extended recovery time.
Learning the difference, and especially knowing which more common pains you need to be on guard for, will help to ensure that you can maintain your workouts and stay injury free.
Sudden Head or Neck Pain
Extreme Groin Area Tenderness
Sharp Back Pain
Ankle Pain While Running
Extreme Levels of Hunger
Light-headedness
Relentless Shin Pain
Ongoing Fatigue
Sudden Head or Neck Pain
If you experience a sudden painful feeling in your head, especially when squatting with heavy weight, stop immediately and have a look at your form. Be sure to look forward and concentrate on keeping your shoulders and neck muscles loose.
Extreme Groin Area Tenderness
While some muscular soreness is to be expected when performing a hard weight-lifting session, this type of tightness (almost cramp-like) is a signal that something really hurt and you need to back off before you do more damage. If this is the scenario, stop with that lift and move on, only performing exercises that don't hurt for the remainder of the workout. Be sure to stretch that area as much as possible immediately following the workout. If you can, apply ice to help take down any swelling.
Sharp Back Pain
While you should always pay attention to any type of back pain you experience as this can become a chronic condition, when the pain is sharp and direct, stop immediately as this is one of the ultimate body pains you must not ignore. Sharp pain is usually a very good sign that something is wrong.
Ankle Pain While Running
When you're running and you experience the type of pain in your ankle that makes your foot want to give out upon impact, it's time to listen up and stop. This could be a sign of a sprained ankle or strained ligament, and if it's not looked after, you could be facing weeks away from your training.
The ankle joint is loaded with a variety of ligaments and tendons, so it's not that extraordinary for something to occur with just one off-balanced step. Having a proper pair of running shoes and trying to run on only level surfaces will go a long way toward preventing ankle pain from happening, but it's impossible to completely eliminate the risk.
Extreme Levels of Hunger
Once the muscles have been built, this means turning to the diet aspect of things and taking control of the food you put in your mouth. If you are quite serious about your diet and have been restricting yourself for a month or more (while also approaching sub-10% body fat levels), it's important to really listen to your body. At times, after a period of very strict dieting, the body's hormonal balance can get shifted around and you will experience intense hunger that just doesn't seem to go away, regardless of what you eat. At this point, it's a clear sign that your body is trying to tell you something, and you should take a week or two off your diet before continuing.
Light-headedness
Another body pain you must not ignore when performing your workout is light-headedness. This most frequently occurs after you've done an exercise where you are partially bent over and then rise back up into the standing position again. While some light-headedness is expected in some individuals (if it's been an ongoing issue) it would be smart to have your blood pressure checked, as this is typically indicative of low blood pressure.
Relentless Shin Pain
Shin splints are another common running injury that can be quite persistent over time and are a result of continual pounding on the tibia bone. While some shin splints may just be due to overuse and be remedied with a few days off, if you're suffering from shin splints, you'll require a more in-depth recovery process.
If you are experiencing some shin pain, take note of how long it's been going on and exactly where it's located. If it's been two weeks or more, book yourself an appointment with a sports doctor to have it checked out.
Ongoing Fatigue
You get more sleep. You try adjusting your diet. You take a few days off. You're doing everything you can think of make yourself feel better, but nothing works. This could be a sign that you are severely overtrained. Depending on the severity, overtraining can take anywhere from two weeks to many months to fully recover from. So catching this body pain you must not ignore sooner rather than later is highly beneficial to you and your recovery.
For more health related questions your first resource is always Halo Academy, contact Hayley at hlt@hayleylondon.com.