one of the messed up ones i learned but later unlearned is no pain no gain. its a really toxic idea perpetuated in a lot of sports, in fact pretty much all of them as far as i know. it leads people to the idea that more pain is more gain, which for a lot of activities is the opposite of the truth. overtraining can be a major setback for any activity since it means you need to take time off just to get back to baseline, and in the worst cases can lead to permanent injuries that get in the way of normal function.
ive hurt myself a number of times just pushing myself to the point of pain because i thought it was the best way to get better, and often there was a coach pushing me to work harder. it kind of ruined athletics in general for me for a long time because i equated it with suffering. if i wasnt suffering enough i wasnt really improving, and i could always be suffering more. thats fucking stupid and it isnt how our bodies work. thankfully ive since learned a ton about proper training and recovery, so i have a much healthier relationship with exercise.
Pain is your body’s way of telling you that something is wrong. It should be a sign to take a break and reevaluate rather than push on.
Those ideas are incredibly toxic. Though I’ve only ever heard athletes actually say, “no pain no gain” aloud, those ideas are present in other fields as well. Music conservatories encourage these exact same toxic attitudes towards practing instruments. Its a highly competitive environment that encourages overtraining, and practicing to or past the point of pain. These ideas cause real harm and need to be opposed everywhere.
I was appalled when I read a survey of professional musicians about pain. The numbers who report being in pain regularly from playing are shockingly high, including the overwhelming majority of woodwinds. The way we encourage musicians to practice is basically the recipe for creating repetitive strain injuries.
Whatever you do, make sure you’re being smart about it. Take breaks, get rest, take care of yourself first, your craft second. You do not need to suffer for your art. It is neither helpful nor needed.
Same! I learned that some pain like minor muscle pain from exercise is good, but other pain is not good at all.
I sometimes think about when I was in high school field hockey and hurt my knee pretty bad. Per doctor’s recommendation, I would run as much as I could, then walk when I needed. During one of my walking times, a “teammate” ran by and said “Come on Dkppunk! Pain is weakness leaving the body!” If I had followed her advice, I probably would have been out of sports in general. rolled my eyes then and I roll my eyes now at that line of thinking.
Yup, sporting a little more than normal, being tired but able to catch your breath, and having tired muscles the day after is fine. ‘Seeing stars’ when you exercise and feeling like you can collapse any moment, however… that’s too far.
Pain can also sometimes indicate other conditions, eg. if someone has cramps from non-intense exercise, there might be a magnesium deficiency (in which case drinking water and having supplements might help).
one of the messed up ones i learned but later unlearned is no pain no gain. its a really toxic idea perpetuated in a lot of sports, in fact pretty much all of them as far as i know. it leads people to the idea that more pain is more gain, which for a lot of activities is the opposite of the truth. overtraining can be a major setback for any activity since it means you need to take time off just to get back to baseline, and in the worst cases can lead to permanent injuries that get in the way of normal function.
ive hurt myself a number of times just pushing myself to the point of pain because i thought it was the best way to get better, and often there was a coach pushing me to work harder. it kind of ruined athletics in general for me for a long time because i equated it with suffering. if i wasnt suffering enough i wasnt really improving, and i could always be suffering more. thats fucking stupid and it isnt how our bodies work. thankfully ive since learned a ton about proper training and recovery, so i have a much healthier relationship with exercise.
Pain is your body’s way of telling you that something is wrong. It should be a sign to take a break and reevaluate rather than push on.
Those ideas are incredibly toxic. Though I’ve only ever heard athletes actually say, “no pain no gain” aloud, those ideas are present in other fields as well. Music conservatories encourage these exact same toxic attitudes towards practing instruments. Its a highly competitive environment that encourages overtraining, and practicing to or past the point of pain. These ideas cause real harm and need to be opposed everywhere.
I was appalled when I read a survey of professional musicians about pain. The numbers who report being in pain regularly from playing are shockingly high, including the overwhelming majority of woodwinds. The way we encourage musicians to practice is basically the recipe for creating repetitive strain injuries.
Whatever you do, make sure you’re being smart about it. Take breaks, get rest, take care of yourself first, your craft second. You do not need to suffer for your art. It is neither helpful nor needed.
This one. My current trainer scolds me when I work to the point of hurting myself. I’ve had people … who said otherwise.
Same! I learned that some pain like minor muscle pain from exercise is good, but other pain is not good at all.
I sometimes think about when I was in high school field hockey and hurt my knee pretty bad. Per doctor’s recommendation, I would run as much as I could, then walk when I needed. During one of my walking times, a “teammate” ran by and said “Come on Dkppunk! Pain is weakness leaving the body!” If I had followed her advice, I probably would have been out of sports in general. rolled my eyes then and I roll my eyes now at that line of thinking.
Yup, sporting a little more than normal, being tired but able to catch your breath, and having tired muscles the day after is fine. ‘Seeing stars’ when you exercise and feeling like you can collapse any moment, however… that’s too far.
Pain can also sometimes indicate other conditions, eg. if someone has cramps from non-intense exercise, there might be a magnesium deficiency (in which case drinking water and having supplements might help).