We all know that fibromyalgia is a pain. But, what kind of pain is it? I mention in my book, FibroWHYalgia, that fibromyalgia has turned me into a Pain Archeologist. In Chapter 3, I go on to list my definitions of the different types of pain I experience.

This post will be about one type only – muscle pain. In particular, this is about the type of muscle pain resulting from exercise or a fitness program. I’m sure you know what I mean. No matter what the exercise is, we’ll likely feel it later. Sometimes it’s that same day, but most often, it’s the following morning. We wake up and our first thought is, “What on earth did I do yesterday?”

Then we remember, “Oh yeah. I went to the gym.”

This is actually muscle soreness rather than pain. It’s predictable and temporary. It’s concentrated on the muscle groups used during exercise, and it does wear off – eventually. This week, I experienced more muscle soreness than I have in quite a while, and I’m very happy about it.

I love tai chi. If you’ve ready my book, you know that. Nearly a year ago, my local gym cancelled my beloved class. In retribution, I cancelled my membership. I’ve been doing other fitness programs at home, but have missed tai chi something fierce. It’s been a long time coming, but I’m finally hosting a tai chi class (with my wonderful instructor!) here at my home on Tuesdays starting last week.

It felt fabulous to do the warm ups again and get into the rhythms of the familiar exercises. I was definitely fatigued, but my lack of stamina was met with great enthusiasm.

The following morning, my muscles let me know that I was more out of shape than I’d thought. I was sore in places that hadn’t been sore in a long time. I think that’s a good thing. I don’t mind muscle soreness – especially when it’s focused on where I need toning. Muscle soreness lets me know how much exercise is too much or too little.

For me, the results are worth the increased soreness. I need to challenge myself and that happens in a class setting. It’s simply more enjoyable to workout with a group. And, I know that as I stick with it, the less sore I’ll be.

Tai chi is one activity that I feel is worth increased (temporary) pain. It makes my “approved” fitness list. What kind of fitness activities top your approved list?