Pain vs. Progress: Knowing How Far to Push

Pain can be tricky, especially when you’re moving your body and trying to get stronger. I like to think of it like a smoke detector.

Those alarms are designed to be overly sensitive—so they’ll go off for burnt toast just as easily as they would for a real fire. Our pain system works the same way. Sometimes it’s a true warning, but often it’s just being extra cautious.

When you've had an injury or persistent pain, it's so normal to fall into fear-avoidance.  "If I don't move it, it can't hurt me...." But, here's the tricky thing:  what we avoid, we often lose.

So, how do you know when to keep going and when to stop ?  A little discomfort—like muscles working hard, that “good stretch” feeling, or even some next-day soreness—is totally normal. That’s your body adapting and getting stronger. But if pain feels sharp, stabbing, or makes you change how you move, that’s your body’s way of saying, “Let’s pause.”  That's when you back off intensity, change your body position, or choose another option.  It doesn't mean stop forever.

Here in the studio, our goal is to help you find that sweet spot—challenging yourself enough to build strength and confidence, without crossing into unsafe territory. Over time, this helps retrain your body’s “alarm system,” so you can move with less fear, less pain, and more freedom to do what you love.