You know the old joke:
A patient goes to the doctor and says, “Doc, it hurts when I do this.”
And the doctor replies, “Well, then stop doing that.”
Classic advice, right? Simple, efficient… and completely outdated.
For years, that was the general thinking about pain — if it hurts, stop. Pain meant damage, injury, or danger. End of story. But we now know that the story is a little more nuanced (and a lot more interesting). Let me explain….
Pain isn’t always a stop sign. Sometimes, it’s more of a speed bump — or even just your body’s way of saying, “Hey, I noticed that.”
Pain as a Guide, Not a Guard Dog
Pain is information. It’s one of the ways your body talks to you — like an overzealous friend who sometimes yells when a calm text would do. It doesn’t always mean “stop immediately.” It might mean “slow down,” “adjust,” or “pay attention.”
That’s where the traffic light system comes in — a simple and practical way to make sense of what your body’s telling you.
🟢 Green Light Pain (1–3 out of 10)
This is the “I feel something, but it’s not stopping me” zone.
Think of mild muscle soreness after trying a new workout, or that first pickleball game of the season. Green flag pain says: You’re okay to keep going. Maybe stretch a bit more, hydrate, recover — but don’t hit the brakes just because you feel something.
🟡 Yellow Light Pain (4–6 out of 10)
This is the caution zone. Something’s up — not necessarily dangerous, but worth your attention. It’s like your body saying, “Let’s rethink this.”
Maybe your running shoes are worn out. Maybe your shoulder’s been working overtime because your core forgot to RSVP to the workout. Maybe you have a lot of stress in your life and need to slow down the activity.
Here, it’s smart to modify: do less, go slower, or change how you’re doing it. The goal is to keep moving — just smarter.
🔴 Red Light Pain (7–10 out of 10)
This is the “Nope. Stop. Do not pass Go.” zone.
Sharp, stabbing, or escalating pain usually means something needs professional attention. This is where you step back, get assessed, and build a plan to recover safely — not just wait it out.
Think of it as a pit stop, not a permanent parking spot.
The Shift
The big idea here is this: pain doesn’t automatically mean “damage.” It’s one piece of information in a much bigger picture — including strength, movement patterns, stress, sleep, mindset, and recovery.
Our job isn’t just to silence pain, but to understand it. To learn from it.
Because sometimes, when your body says “it hurts when I do this,”
the best response isn’t “then stop doing that.”
It’s “let’s figure out how to keep doing it — better.”
With this shift in thinking around pain, we learn to trust ourselves and our capacity for active living. We can still have positive experiences with movement, even if there is some pain.
