Shoud I Feel the BURN?

A question I often get from clients and class participants is: “Should I feel more of a “burn” after my workout?”

Sometimes people feel that if they are not getting a “burn” or muscle soreness, they are not getting an effective workout. This is not definitively true. I usually ask my clients how they felt after their last training session to see how their bodies responded to the workout. I get varying responses such as; “I felt the workout in this particular body part.” Or “I felt a good sore all over.” Or “I feel fine, no soreness.”

Muscles soreness is not always an indicator that you had a great workout and if you are not sore, you can still be productive. Muscles soreness usually occurs from your muscles doing something they are not used to doing or have not done in a while.

When someone is starting a new workout, his or her body will feel the effects and may get sore. After a while, the body will get used to it and may be not as sore in the weeks or months after. That person can change the intensity of the exercises by doing more repetitions, adding more weight or walking/biking longer on a hiking trail with inclines or maybe doing completely different exercises. Any of these changes could create muscle soreness.

There are some individuals that may be sore all the time and those that may not get sore too often or at all. Every person is different, so the only person you can listen to is you. Get in tune with your body as you travel your fitness journey. Are you getting stronger? Is your posture improving? Do you feel more balanced? All of these areas should improve if you are putting your all into your workout. You will only get out of your experience what you put in.

A better indicator of the effects of your workout comes from the scale, mirror, your clothes fitting, pictures and/or tape measurements. Remember, your workout is just one component toward a goal of a healthier you. The food you put in your mouth is a bigger component. More to come!