Many people have grown used to thinking that sport is always about pushing through, and that results come only through suffering. But training "through the pain" does not lead to a perfect body — it leads to injuries and burnout. Fitness trainer Lera Logunova explains how to choose the right load in such cases, the website infohub.kz reports.
Severe muscle soreness (DOMS). "If 24–48 hours have passed since your last workout and your muscles literally 'burn' when you touch or move them, then you can't just grind through it. The muscle fibers haven't recovered yet. If you load them again at the same intensity, your form will fall apart, the risk of injury, a weakened body, fatigue and burnout rises sharply," the trainer explains.
What to do. Logunova advises choosing active recovery in this case. That means no heavy strength work or intense cardio that day.
"Do a light joint warm-up, do some gentle stretching or just go for a walk. It will get the blood flowing and quickly ease the pain. But you can also switch target groups — that is, if your legs are sore, you can do a routine for the upper body," she notes.
Sharp, joint or pinpoint pain. If your knees, lower back, shoulders or ligaments hurt, or a sudden sharp 'shooting' pain occurs when you move, then it's a full stop.
"Skip the workout without a second thought. Loading an inflamed or damaged joint or ligament is a direct path to injury and to being out of fitness for months," she explains.
Systemic fatigue and feeling 'wiped out.' If muscle soreness comes on top of lack of sleep, a drop in energy or the feeling that you're getting sick, then you need a day off from training and should rest. The central nervous system may be overloaded. Extra stress will only raise cortisol levels and slow your progress.
"Knowing when to take a step back and let your body recover is not laziness — it's a sensible approach. Progress happens not during the workout itself, but during quality recovery afterward," the trainer emphasized.
Earlier, Logunova broke down the viral 'dopamine steps' trend and explained whether they can help you lose weight.