I actually strive to make myself hurt (in moderation). I want to grow muscle, and the only way to do that is to tear it a little, and you're going to feel that. However, I know if I have injured myself because it's not that burning feeling you get with movement. It's either a sharp stabbing pain during workout (like yesterday when I hurt my back-again), or it's a pain felt after workout that's quite different. It may be hard to distinguish at first, but if you get better within a day or two, it's likely just delayed onset muscle soreness. Any pain that lingers and does not clear up most likely is not muscle soreness. Also, I try to stretch thoroughly after working out when my muscles are fully warmed up and have good blood flow, and I always cool down and warm up for 5-10 minutes prior by walking, jogging or jumping rope. Also, I never increase my workouts by more than 10 percent, either in distance or intensity. You should also stop lifting if you feel actual pain during a movement, as well as during cardio. Discomfort and pain are two different things, and I have found out the hard way too many times. If you have someone that can massage and gently stretch sore muscles, this is heavenly, and seems to be the thing to help me a lot. Happy exercising!
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