We all get stiffer after unusual exertion, and as we grow older we get stiffer more easily. Often the stiffness will be maximum on the second to fifth day after exercise. This creates a paradox. In order to stay in good physical shape we need regular exercise, which results in substantial amounts of pain and stiffness from time to time. To relieve this discomfort, we have to increase our exercise, which inevitably triggers at least a few episodes of increased pain.

This pain is not a message to eliminate the exercise program. Rather, it is a suggestion from your body to proceed more carefully with a gentle exercise progression. So don't be discouraged by pain after exercise. Listen to the pain message and work with it. On the other hand, people with osteoarthritis have pain during exercise that usually is relieved by rest. If you have significant arthritis, the pain after exercise may be localized to the joints and not the muscles. If the pain lasts more than two hours after you have stopped exercising, you may need to rethink your exercise program. You don't need the doctor unless signs of severe injury or nerve damage are present or unless the problem continues to bother you quite a bit for quite a while. This problem is a signal to review your home exercise program.

Almost always, pain after exercise indicates that you have disregarded one of the principles of a sound exercise program. Let's review them. Exercise should not make you hurt very much. Don't try to exercise through pain. If you hurt after exercise, that exercise is a bit too much for you right now. Exercise programs should be daily. The weekend gardener is not going to become fit or able, may have reinjury, and will experience increased pain and stiffness on the days after gardening. Exercise programs should be gently graded. No day's activities should be more than a 10% increase over the typical day's activity. Slow and steady progression is essential to success. Exercise programs should emphasize smooth actions, as with swimming, walking, or bicycling, until good conditioning is achieved. Jerky exercises with incompletely trained muscles are likely to result in reinjury.

Exercise programs should emphasize suppleness and muscle tone, not absolute strength. The stress of lifting heavy objects, squeezing balls, and so forth is likely to damage an already injured joint. Swimming easily is an excellent exercise. Exercise should be preceded by a warm-up period in which the joints, ligaments, and muscles are stretched gently. The parts to be used should be physically warm, on a cold day, wear warm clothing. Exercise programs are in addition, not instead of, prescribed medications. Exercise programs always have setbacks in which there are periods of increased pain. This does not mean that the idea is wrong. Back off just a little bit and begin again more gently.