The benefits of exercise encourage us to go to the gym. However, only if you do your exercises right, will you gain the real benefits for your body. Feeling a little pain after exercise is quite normal. This means your muscles are getting stronger. But some pains can be from a muscle injury. This article is about how to understand the causes for your pains and about the things you think you know about exercise but are actually wrong. Your body is your biggest supporter against illnesses. Therefore, do not make things worse while trying to benefit it. Take care of yourself and keep in mind the things written below in order to learn whether exercises are good for you or not.

False facts:

• If your muscles shake too much, there is a problem

Some muscle shakes will not hurt, but if your body starts to shake like an earthquake, it is a sign of muscle failure. It does not only have the risk of making you fall but it can also cause your muscles harm. Also, when you are really tired, you probably will not be able to keep the proper form during your exercises. This opens the door to injury, with a muscle tonus or tears around the corner.

• Be careful if you feel a sharp and spreading pain

A general, spreading pain in your muscles can be normal. It shows that your exercise program is a difficult one. However, an intense pain occurring swiftly means something is wrong. Do not try to continue the exercise; it can cause a muscle or joint injury.

• Tubercles on your knees or feet after running may signal that there is a problem

Redness, tubercles and continuous pain in your knees or feet usually mean there is a bigger problem. In case of such a situation, rest for a few days. You should give yourself much more time to warm up before exercise. If you continue to feel the injuries in every exercise, be sure to see a physiotherapist. The therapist will help you to get into shape and strengthen all of your weak points that are prone to injury.

• You went to the gym three days ago but your pains still continue

If you have overloaded your muscles at the gym and if they still hurt while the climbing stairs, the reason can be the delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). DOMS is the delayed pain felt in muscles after exercise. It is generally felt in the first two days following intensive exercise and disappears a few days later. The reason is a small tissue tear. When your body repairs this tissue, your muscles are built stronger. However, DOMS should stop between 24 and 48 hours. If your pain still continues, this means you went too far. Wait until your muscles heal and think about going to the gym again only after your pain stops.

• Ache in your knees, shoulders or hips because of pressure or lifting

Feeling pain while doing an exercise means that something is wrong. If the pain is sharp, go and see an orthopedist. If the pain is not so bad, it is highly recommended you spend much more time warming up before beginning your exercise. Additionally, continuing the exercise with lighter weights will be much better for you in the long run. Do not try other people's exercises and weights. Increase your weights step by step and be sure that you do the exercise right.

• You should have a break during the exercise

If you always feel tired and pain, maybe you are not sparing enough time for your body to heal between your exercises. When you are in your 20s, your body needs 18 hours to repair muscle tissues after exercise, but this period can rise to 36 hours for people over the age of 40. Doing exercise before muscles recover themselves can cause inflammation.

• Intense body workouts can affect your body negatively

It is easy to understand why intense body workouts are preferred. They help burn tons of calories and this burning continues even after the exercise finishes. But if you do this only, you run the risk of injury and fatigue. Actually, these intense workouts can increase injuries in muscle tissues and a severe disruption in muscle tissue can lead to a kidney injury – which can lead to death. After intense workouts, give yourself 48 hours.

• Doing only cardio workouts is not beneficial for your body

If your exercise comprises of long cardio workouts and you do not have any weight training, you prepare yourself for a weak body. Muscles burn calories while resting. Therefore, the lesser the muscles you have, the lesser calories you will burn. You start to lose your muscles after the age of 25 if you do not do weight exercise regularly. In order to protect and develop your body and decrease your body fat, add weight workouts to your exercise program at least two or three days in a week.

• Be careful what you wear during exercise

While doing exercise, your body heat increases, and naturally, your sweat. If you overclothe, you will sweat quicker. As your sweat evaporates, it can affect your speed and improvement. But you can overclothe your waist circumference.

Things to be extra careful with while walking

Regulate your speed

In research done on more than 60,000 women, it has been revealed that women who have faster walking speed in their workouts for at least four times a week carry more risk of hip fracture than the ones who walk slowly. After walking at your routine speed for 10 minutes, walk with high tempo for three or five minutes. After a few weeks, add a minute more to your run. Then, build the habit of three high tempo walks for five minutes. Walking at a fast speed is a perfect alternative for the people who have back pain or joint problems preventing active exercises.

Walk backwards or sideways

Another new but safe way for your bones is to change direction. In a search in Osteoporosis magazine, it is told that walking backwards or sideways is an effective exercise to increase bone mass. I advise you to spare 30 seconds for each of them, repeat every exercise for three or five minutes.

Add stairs or a steep hill to your walk

The best way to create a positive effect on your bones is to walk upward from stairs or a steep hill. If there is a hill near your house, you are in luck. Try climbing it two or three times, depending on how steep and how long it is. If you do not have an opportunity like this, you can choose outdoor stairs. Spending a few minutes will do miracles for you.