If It's Good, Why Is Exercising Painful?

[Mondsee]

Having sore muscles today after an intense run I did yesterday I was wandering... if it is good for our bodies to exercise, why is it that we feel some pain (often called "good pain") after a workout?

It's like... to survive we need to eat. We eat and while doing that as well as after that we feel very pleased and literally satisfied.

That is not the case for exercising. Even tough it is something "healthy", it can produce discomfort.

[egoeimai]

Actually its painful If you believe it is. It may sound weird, but its all about perspective.

[Mondsee]

@egoeimai Well, yes, but objectively seen, it does hinder you from doing certain things flawless because of the pain... like going up or down the stairs very quickly. It's like a minor injury...

[Phocus]

@Mondsee

You're making a little bit of an assumption by saying that "exercise is painful" so lets get a bit more specific: changing the fitness level that you're currently accustomed to, is painful.

Homeostasis.  All of our bodies natural systems tend to prefer to stay right where they are, even if "where you are" is a very unhealthy place.

In the context of a harsh cruel world where survival is not guaranteed; food, water, shelter, are not guaranteed; this was a valuable trait that helped us keep from getting too curious and winding up as something's lunch.  In the context of a world where all of our essential needs are provided for us (and even if you can't provide for yourself, someone else usually will if you just ask) this seems more like a crippling mental illness.

[Mondsee]

@Michael569 Thank you for your biology class refresher!  It was good hearing about the chemical process inside our bodies again!

23 hours ago, Phocus said:

Homeostasis.  All of our bodies natural systems tend to prefer to stay right where they are, even if "where you are" is a very unhealthy place.

This is what I was looking for. A little before you posted it I came up to the same idea, I realized it is not that vigorous physical movement is painful, but that our bodies are not used to that level of intensity.

Thanks guys!

[Nahm]

@Mondsee Do breathe-through stretches while believing the stretches will free you of the 'pain', and it actually will.