Welcome to our Exercise Q&A forum!
Ask your exercise-related question, the Leap experts will answer them and give you some practical tips to take your exercise to the next level.
We’re bringing you science-backed information on exercise, so when you’re bombarded with the next latest and greatest exercise hack or fad, you’re empowered to objectively assess the claims, and know what’s true and what isn’t.
This question comes from a Leap member –
Should I work out with a sore joint?
Great question! Let’s find out the answer.
Listen to our accredited Exercise Physiologist, Eliza’s, response –
Some more info. –
How to exercise with longer term or chronic pain –
Chronic pain is pain that is ongoing and usually lasts longer than six months.
This tends to be more dull aching pain rather than sharp shooting pain.
Exercise is generally helpful in managing chronic pain, and can even have an analgesic or pain relieving affect as well.
In the case of osteoarthritis in the knee or hip or long term lower back pain, exercise is one of the best things we can do to manage that pain over the long term.
Exercise helps our body to teach our brain that it’s safe to exercise and move, and it’s also really important in helping us maintain our function, our strength and our mobility.
Work within a moderate and tolerable pain level and know that the exercise ultimately reduce the pain afterwards and will help you maintain function and strength in the long term.
How to exercise with an acute injury –
It’s usually a sharp shooting pain that’ll drive you to see a health professional to help manage the pain. And therefore, it’s best to follow their advice on what exercise is appropriate for the injury that you have. Each injury is different.
That doesn’t mean that all exercise must be avoided.
For example, you might have an injury to your elbow but you’re still able to do lower body exercise and that might be helpful for you as a way to keep your body moving despite some discomfort associated with your injury in another part of your body.
To distinguish between the ‘good’ and ‘bad’ pain, check out our article ‘What’s the difference between ‘good’ pain and ‘bad’ pain after exercise?‘
