In the midst of that, Jennifer Aniston shared a fitness mantra she wants people to ignore—and it may not be what you expect.
“You can actually have gain with no pain,” she continues. “My biggest takeaway is, ‘Boy, you didn’t have to hurt your body so much back then. You didn’t need to beat yourself up.’”
Experts agree that pain is not the goal or something to push through. “Pain doesn’t inherently equal gain; in fact, it can offer the opposite,” says Tami Smith, a certified personal trainer. “While the sentiment behind this idea is to push through the discomfort of working out and that it is OK and normal to feel some ‘pain,’ it can unfortunately lead to injury, especially for beginners.”
Ahead, she and a sports neurologist further explain why this fitness tip can go straight into the trash.
How That Mantra Is Harmful (and Just Plain Wrong)
“We can’t judge the effectiveness or the quality of a workout by whether or not it was painful or if we are sore the next day as these are not true indicators of an effective workout,” Smith says.
Pain is a sign of a present or incoming injury
Pain is a warning sign that what you’re about to gain might be—to put it bluntly—a trip to the hospital.
Related: ‘Price Is Right’ Contestant Sustains Painful Injury While Celebrating Big Win
It could set you back
To emphasize those earlier points further, consider this: Exercising through pain can stop you from reaching your full potential and set you back for days, weeks or months, according to Dr. Williams.
Even injury-free, grueling workouts can set you back if they make it hard to move your body.
As mentioned above, some discomfort is normal (and perhaps to some degree, good) during exercise. Dr. Williams says some mild soreness is expected and could be a sign of lactate increasing, which may indicate muscle growth and repair.
If and when the discomfort stops is a key factor to pay attention to, though. “[The soreness or discomfort] is usually a gradually progressive process, and the soreness/”pain” decreases when the activity (rep, set, etc.) is over,” Dr. Williams says.
Related: If You’re Struggling to Hit Your Fitness Goals, It’s Time To Try ‘Cozy Cardio’
When To Stop or Pause Your Workout
From that point, keeping an eye on it can be helpful. If it recedes or resolves over the day, you’re probably fine. If it persists or recurs, Dr. Williams urges you to see a healthcare provider.
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Sources
Tami Smith, a certified personal trainerDr. Vernon B. Williams, MD, a sports neurologist New Year’s Resolutions Statistics 2024, ForbesJennifer Aniston Slams This 1 Health Mantra as ‘Not True at All’: ‘I Always Had the Message in My Brain’ (Exclusive), PeopleHow to measure the effectiveness of your workout, UW HealthHow often should you take a rest day?, UCLA Health Read More Details
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