Should I exercise through Pain?

Here on Waiheke, we are active. Whether it’s walking the beaches, swimming with the incredible weather, hiking through the bush, or just keeping fit with Pilates at Connect Studio — movement is part of the lifestyle.

But what happens when your body starts to get a few niggles? A twinge in your knee up those Onetangi steps ... or a tight back pulling out tree roots

The big question becomes: “Should I keep exercising through the pain, or pull back?”

Pain Is Part of the Picture

As physios, the number one thing we deal with every day is pain.

“How bad is it out of 10?”
“Is it worse at night?”
“Does it stop you walking down to the beach or doing your Pilates class?”

The old-school view was: no pain = good, pain = stop everything. But research (and experience) now says otherwise.

What the Science (and Common Sense) Tells Us

If you’ve got a niggle, it’s often okay to keep moving, especially if the pain stays below a 3 out of 10.

Yes — that means it might feel a bit uncomfortable, but you’re not flaring things up, reaching for anti-inflammatories, or limping off the mat. That’s your green light.

In fact, allowing a little pain can actually:

• Help you build strength faster

• Improve resilience in the muscles, joints, and nervous system

• Make your brain less reactive to future pain
  
  We’re not saying you should push through a torn hammy, or limp around Matiatia with a fresh ankle sprain. But aiming to be 100% pain-free all the time isn’t realistic

The goal is to find that balance: move well, live fully, and avoid doing real damage.

So When Isn’t It Okay?

• Here are the times to stop and see us straight away:

• The pain gets worse the more you do

• You’re getting woken up at night by pain

• The pain lingers for hours after exercise
  It’s a fresh injury (within 48 hours) — except for back pain, which usually does better when you keep gently moving
  

  If You’re Afraid to Move...

That fear (called kinesiophobia) can make pain worse.
Seriously. The brain magnifies the signal every time you avoid movement because you're scared it’ll hurt. That leads to more pain, more weakness, and a slower recovery.

A classic example? A sprained ankle with no fracture. If you don’t weight bear for a week, you're more likely to end up with nerve pain and strange symptoms, which is no fun at all.

On the Flip Side...

Being willing to explore movement — even when it’s a bit uncomfortable — helps your brain rebuild trust in your body. It makes the tissues stronger. And you become more resilient for whatever life throws your way, from vineyard work to surfy shore breaks.

In Summary

If you live on Waiheke, you probably want to move for life, not just rehab an injury.
The good news is: a bit of pain doesn’t have to stop you.

Let us help you figure out when it’s safe to keep moving, and when it’s time to pause and reset.