No Pain, No Gain?

Let’s clear this up. Pain isn’t a badge of honour.

Imagine you’re behind the wheel of your dream sports car. It’s fast, smooth, and built to perform. You’re flying down the highway when that little engine light flicks on. Now what? Do you crank the music, ignore it, and keep driving like nothing’s wrong? Or do you take it in before something blows?

Your body’s no different. Pain is the check engine light. It’s not there for decoration.

How Most People Handle Pain

Athletes are the worst for this. We wrap, tape, brace, pop a couple pills, and tell ourselves we’re fine. We’ve been sold this “no pain, no gain” nonsense for years. And sure, during competition, there are times you push through. That’s part of the game. But when you start living that way every day just to get through practice or a workout? That’s not mental toughness. That’s just bad strategy.

The problem? These quick fixes start feeling normal. Creams, pills, ice packs — all part of the daily routine. Meanwhile, the actual issue? Still there. Getting worse.

What Pain Actually Is

Pain is your body’s way of saying something’s off. Sharp, deep, stubborn aches that don’t go away with a warm-up. That’s not soreness. That’s a problem. Don’t confuse the two. Soreness fades after a light warm-up or some foam rolling. Pain doesn’t. And if you’re honest with yourself, you already know the difference.

Why “Push Through It” Backfires

Here’s the thing, ignoring pain doesn’t make it go away. It just buries it deeper until it shows up as something bigger. You start moving differently. Compensating. Your body tries to protect itself, which throws off your technique, limits your strength, and messes with how you move. Especially dangerous when you’re lifting heavy or pushing hard.

Gray Cook said it best "covering pain is like putting tape over your dashboard light. Just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean the engine’s fine."

What You Should Actually Do

Stop glorifying pain. Respect it. It’s not weakness. It’s feedback. Use it to make changes, fix what’s broken, and train smarter. Your body’s not trying to stop you. It’s trying to protect you so you can keep showing up.

And if you’re not sure what’s pain and what’s soreness? Or how to work around it without setting yourself back? That’s where I come in. Reach out. This is what I do.

Emmanuel Ofori

Your friendly neighbourhood fitness professional