“No Pain, No Gain!” so they say . . . but it’s a rather unsafe myth as pain is your body’s way of telling you to stop – in class, I prefer to talk about ‘positive pain’ as you push yourself to work to your optimum level.</p>
<p>But it’s easy to confuse “pain” with “soreness” and to believe that if you’re not hurting after class, you’re doing it wrong, so let’s clear up the difference between pain and soreness:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>PAIN</strong> is when you damage the sore muscles by overdoing it. It can leave you unable to do much for 3–7 days, sometimes even longer.</li>
<li><strong>SORENESS</strong> happens when your muscle tissue breaks down, then recovers and gets stronger. It should last between one and three days.</li>
</ul>
<p>And then there’s DOMS – Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness to give it its full title</p>
<h4 data-redactor-style-cache="text-align: center;"><span data-redactor-span="true" data-redactor-style-cache="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">No Soreness After Class? Are You Doing It Wrong?</span></h4>
<p>But to go back to the main point … does feeling no soreness after a session mean you’re doing it wrong?</p>
<p>Soreness can literally tell you that you’re activating the right muscles, but here’s the truth: You can still have an effective Pilates session <strong>WITHOUT</strong> feeling sore and soreness is <strong>never</strong> a sign of progress.</p>
<h4 data-redactor-style-cache="text-align: center;">What Actually Causes Soreness?</h4>
<p>Soreness usually happens when your muscles face a challenge they’re not used to, such as:</p>
<ul>
<li>a new movement</li>
<li>different muscle focus</li>
<li>a higher level of intensity</li>
</ul>
<p>This can be anything from increasing the resistance on a band, changing your routine, trying a new sequence, or even taking a holiday and then coming back to class.</p>
<h4 data-redactor-style-cache="text-align: center;"><span data-redactor-span="true" data-redactor-style-cache="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Should You Worry If You’re Not Sore?</span></h4>
<p>But that doesn’t mean you should chase soreness.<br />
If you’re not feeling sore, your muscles are probably used to the current routine – and that’s <strong>okay!</strong></p>
<p>However, if you do want to shake things up in class or elsewhere …</p>
<ul>
<li>Try a new exercise</li>
<li>Increase the resistance – use a weight</li>
<li>Explore a more advanced movement – working out at a higher level</li>
<li>Or slow down your reps to engage deeper muscles</li>
</ul>
<h4></h4>
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<p>his really depends on <strong>how sore</strong> you are.</p>
<ul>
<li>If it’s a strong, sharp pain or you think something’s not right, it’s best to <strong>skip</strong> and check in with a doctor.</li>
<li>If you just feel a bit sore and it’s making certain moves uncomfortable, you can still get on the mat and focus on different areas.</li>
<li>If the soreness is mild and you can still move easily, you can do Pilates again. Go for slower, lighter exercises.</li>
</ul>
<p>You’ll recover faster by getting blood flowing to those sore muscles, bringing in oxygen and nutrients to help them heal. And if you’re feeling up to it, you can still work on other areas at full strength!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It’s all about listening to your body, keeping things safe, and finding the right challenge for where you are today.</p>
