Should I exercise when I have aches & pains?

Muscle soreness or discomfort that occurs 24 to 48 hours after exercise is normal, especially if the exercise involved a great amount of eccentric movement (for instance running down slope, high intensity resistance training,) or activities which you are not conditioned fully. The recommended approach to this kind of pain is to rest followed by continued moderate exercise and stretching. There are times when the pain or discomfort is more problematic and indicative of a real issue. Below are some guidelines or basic symptoms which can help to determine if the pain/discomfort you are experiencing needs to seek medical attention:

• Discomfort or pain in the joint. When experiencing any kind of joint pain, it should not be taken for granted and ignored. This is especially true for pain experienced in the ankle, knee, elbow or wrist joints as these joints are not covered by muscles and, hence the pain is hardly muscle-related issues.
• Persistent pain or discomfort. If the pain continues for a longer than two weeks periods or even gets worsen, it is strongly recommended to consult the doctor, especially when the pain does not get better after applying the standard treatment e.g., rest, ice, elevation.
• Swelling in or around the area of pain. Swelling is a typical symptom of an injury and need to seek immediate attention. It is common for joints to experiencing pain & stiffness for swelling in or around a joint.
• Interrupt normal daily routine. When pains or soreness that greatly affects your sleep patterns or even cause interference to your work or daily activities, it is also a sign of a more serious problem.

The underlying principle is that we should try to avoid forcing our body to work physically too hard when the body is already feeling pain or soreness. The "no pain, no gain" theory is history and does not have any scientific proves. Feeling pain or discomfort is the body's way of communicating to us that a potential injury exists.