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Soreness, pain and injuries

Normal soreness versus pain that needs care, and how training prevents injury.

3 min read

Part E. Staying with it, for life

Setbacks, busy weeks, training at home, training as a woman and after 40, and looking after your mood. The book closes by putting every lesson together in a sample 12-week journey.

Soreness after a new session is normal. Sharp, joint or worsening pain is not. Strength training is one of the best ways to prevent injuries.

Normal soreness

  • Dull ache in the muscle, 1 to 3 days after
  • Both sides feel the same
  • Eases as you warm up

Pain to respect

  • Sharp or stabbing, in a joint
  • Swelling, or a joint giving way
  • Gets worse during the session
  • Lasts more than a week

Pain during exercise, a common physio guide

Range (pain out of 10)Band
0 to 3OK to train
3 to 5Reduce load or range
5 to 10Stop, see a physio or doctor

Under 1/3

of sports injuries remained with strength training[1]

Coming back from a niggle

  1. Calm it. Swap to pain-free moves for a few days; keep moving.
  2. Reload. Return at about half the weight; add a little each session.
  3. Rebuild. Back to full once it stays pain-free the next day.

Strong evidence

Across 25 trials, strength training cut sports injuries to under a third, while stretching alone did not prevent injury.[1]

Key points

  • Dull, even soreness after a new session is normal.
  • Sharp, joint, swelling or worsening pain needs care.
  • Strength training is one of the best ways to prevent injuries.

Up next

Sources

  1. [1] Lauersen JB, Bertelsen DM, Andersen LB. The effectiveness of exercise interventions to prevent sports injuries: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Br J Sports Med 2014;48(11):871-877.

General information from published guidelines, not medical advice, and not reviewed by a clinician. See a doctor for pain, illness, pregnancy or before hard training if you have a condition.