09/22/2025
š¤ A big study looked at this exact question! The authors did a systematic review & meta-analysis comparing āpainfulā exercises (i.e. exercises where some pain is allowed or encouraged) to āpain-freeā exercises in people with chronic musculoskeletal pain
Turns out ā doing exercises with a little pain actually helped people feel better in the short-term compared to totally pain-free workouts. šŖ
BUTā¦ long-term? There wasnāt much difference.
āØ Takeaway:
So the key is: a bit of pain during exercise isnāt automatically bad š«š„ ā as long as itās tolerable, controlled, and goes away after. Always listen to your body and your PT!
