I do exercise regularly. Why do I still experience pain?

  • Post author:
  • Post category:Exercise
Exercise

As we age, injuries occur to the spine and other parts of the body (small and major injuries), causing structures within the body to start breaking down. Whether from injury, weakness, stiffness, or even hypermobility, these assaults slowly start to affect the way we move.

You will ask… “I do exercise regularly. Why do I still experience pain?”

Here’s why:

1.    What type of exercise/ sports you involve in? Does it involve variety of movement pattern or only specific movement pattern?

If you play racket games, your body is used to one side lunge movement and one side swing and body rotation most of the time. This repetitive specific movement pattern will lead to muscles imbalances, postural misalignment and joints wear and tear.

2.    Are the exercises you perform building enough strength and stability for you to perform your daily activity?

For example, you brisk walk everyday for an hour. However, your daily work requires you to carry laptop and move about from one place to another. The laptop is an extra load to your body. You might need to wear heels or court shoes which provide you lesser support compare to sport shoes, which add on another load/ stress to your body and joints. This means your exercise is not sufficient to support your body in daily activities.

3.    How strong is your stability muscles?

Main body stabilizer muscles include the core (diaphragm, deep abdominal muscles, the multifidi, pelvic floor muscles), the rotator cuffs and the gluteus muscles.

4.    Have you suffered from injury before?

An injury will cause your body to compensate for the trauma and this compensatory pattern will be stored in your central nervous system (CNS) and muscles memory, then become your long-term habit. You will carry this “bad” habit in your daily movement and activities.  

5.    Are you in good posture?

Theoretically, brisk walking builds calves, hips and core muscles strength. However, if your posture is not neutral and breathing pattern is not correct, the action of brisk walking can simply put additional stress to your joints, straining your muscles and other soft tissues.