You could have the best intentions to get in shape this year, but if you are experiencing pain or injury, it can create quite the damper on your workout routine. Let’s be honest. It already takes motivation to hit the gym – we don’t need another reason to take it easy.
What could be causing this pain?
1.) Dehydration
I’m sure you’ve heard the constant reminder to make sure you are drinking enough water. During a busy day, it is easy to forget to make sure you are getting enough H2O in your body, especially when there are so many great tasting drinks out there that essentially dehydrate you (i.e. Coffee, some teas, energy drinks, etc.)
Up to 60% of the human body is water, so if we are exercising from a dehydrated state, our bodies may start sending us signals that something if off, especially if we are losing additional water through perspiration.
2.) Lactic Acid Build Up
If it’s been awhile since you’ve hit the treadmill or weights, there’s a good chance you may experience the effects of lactic acid build up. Symptoms of this can include nausea, muscle ache and burning, and hard breathing. Lactic acid builds up in your bloodstream when you do not have enough Oxygen available to complete your workout.
This is not a super serious issue, and it typically will start to resolve itself as you start to get in better shape, allowing your body to process Oxygen more effectively. While the feeling can be unpleasant, it is a good sign that you are having an intense and most likely beneficial workout for the long run.
3.) You are lifting too much weight and/or you are lifting incorrectly.
While body building has become popular in our culture today, some people are unfortunately starting with too much weight too soon in their routine.
It is important to not only know how to correctly perform weight lifting exercises, but also to know where your starting point is so that you do not overdo it.
Every person is built a little differently, and some weights and workout routines may work for some ‘bodies’ better than others. If you are just getting started, or you are interested in a more effective and safe workout routine, it helps to get set up with a personal trainer. If this option is not available or feasible for you, there is a great variety of online workout programs that are accessible at different cost and experience levels.
4.) Your routine never changes.
Any exercise is better than no exercise, but if you are doing the same thing every time you go into the gym, you most likely will see diminishing returns. The human body does an excellent job of adapting to it’s environment, meaning that it can get use to a certain routine, limiting the amount of physical benefits and changes that you are looking to obtain from the workout.
This is why it is important to change up your workout routine frequently to keep your body guessing.
Not only does a changing workout routing help you see better results, but it also helps prevent injury, as you are not always putting pressure and work on the same muscles and bone structures on a daily basis. You need to give parts of your body time to relax and recover, but if you are using them the same, repetitive way, they are more likely to break down and potentially lead to pain and/or injury.
5.) Subluxations
When your spine is misaligned, or in other words, not in proper functioning form, you may be experiencing the symptoms of subluxation.
You could have the best and safest workout routine, but if your spine is misaligned, it could cause serious pain and negative symptoms.
Your body will naturally compensate for areas that are weak or not in the correct position, potentially leading to other areas of your body picking up the slack. This is why it is vital to have a chiropractor checking on the health of your spine, as it is literally the ‘backbone’ of your fitness routine.
**At Abundant Life Chiropractic, our patients come from a variety of different backgrounds. We see athletes, and we see people who are just beginning their fitness routine; regardless, ongoing chiropractic adjustments are part of the essential puzzle in avoiding workout pain and/or injury. Feel free to Contact Us with any questions/concerns!
