Can You Train When You’re in Pain? How Movement at Torq Personal Training Helps You Heal
Can You Train When You’re in Pain? How Movement at Torq Personal Training Helps You Heal
By Donnie Kissick | Torq Personal Training | 1420 E Sprague Ave, Suite 101, Spokane WA
If you’ve ever wondered whether you should still go to the gym when you’re dealing with pain or injury, you’re not alone. At Torq Personal Training in Spokane, we hear this question all the time, and our philosophy is simple: movement is medicine when it’s guided, intentional, and personalized.
How Pain Became My Greatest Teacher
Growing up, I dealt with constant ankle pain. My feet were flat, my ankles were stiff, and by the time I was working long shifts at Taco Bell as a teenager, I could barely walk after standing for hours. I tried everything including X-rays, massages, and stretching, but nothing made a difference.
It wasn’t until I began studying personal training that I learned about corrective exercise and how to strengthen the small stabilizing muscles around my feet and ankles. By improving my arches, mobility, and posture, I discovered something profound: when I stopped moving, the pain came back. When I trained intentionally, it went away.
That realization shaped everything about how I coach today. The gym stopped being a place I avoided when something hurt. It became the place I went to heal.
Our Philosophy: Movement Over Avoidance
At Torq Personal Training, we believe pain is often the body’s way of showing us where we’re weak or restricted, not a signal to stop moving altogether.
Our approach is to:
Identify the source of pain or limitation
Use strength and mobility work to restore balance
Teach clients how to adjust movements safely
Instead of avoiding exercise, we modify it, turning the gym into a rehab through movement environment that builds strength, confidence, and resilience.
Real Stories from the Torq Community
Steph’s Story: From Chronic Hip and Knee Pain to Nine Years of Pain-Free Training
Steph came to us in her mid-60s with chronic hip and knee pain that had limited her for years. Through progressive strength training and consistent mobility work, she not only lost weight and built muscle, she’s been pain-free for over seven years. Now 75, she trains five days a week and continues to live an active, strong life in Spokane.
Alison’s Story: Rebuilding Shoulder Strength, One Rep at a Time
When Alison started, she could barely raise her arm overhead without discomfort. With patient coaching and daily shoulder mobility work, she recently hit a new milestone, pressing 10-pound dumbbells overhead for eight reps, completely pain-free. Her consistency is a reminder that small wins create lasting change.
Daisy’s Story: Coming Back After Surgery
Daisy was nervous to return to training after shoulder surgery. Together, we built a custom plan that allowed her to move safely and progressively strengthen her shoulder. Within weeks, she was lifting again, confident, capable, and moving better than before.
How We Modify Workouts for Pain or Injury
Every session at Torq begins with a conversation. We ask how you’re feeling, what’s sore, and what’s improving. From there, your coach adjusts the workout on the spot, swapping or modifying movements to keep you safe and progressing.
Whether it’s back pain, knee pain, or shoulder discomfort, our coaches guide you through movements that strengthen the surrounding muscles, restore balance, and build confidence. You’re never left to figure it out alone.
Teaching the Difference Between Good Soreness and Bad Pain
One of the most empowering things we do at Torq is help clients understand what their body is telling them.
Good soreness feels like muscular fatigue or mild stiffness, which is a normal part of getting stronger.
Bad pain is sharp, pinching, or joint-based, and it’s a signal we listen to and adapt around immediately.
By helping clients learn this difference, we build body awareness that lasts far beyond the gym.
Why Spokane Chooses Torq for Safe, Supportive Training
Unlike big box gyms, Torq Personal Training in Spokane offers small group coaching with individualized attention. Every client has a personal trainer watching their form, tracking progress, and ensuring each workout is safe and effective, even with limitations or injuries.
Our mission is to help people of all ages and abilities train smarter, not harder, so they can move better and live pain-free in every part of their life.
If You’re in Pain, Don’t Stay Still — Let’s Move Through It Together
If pain or injury has been holding you back, we’d love to show you how movement can help you heal.
Visit Torq Personal Training at 1420 E Sprague Ave, Suite 101, Spokane, WA or schedule your consultation today.
Let’s turn your pain into progress.
Visit us at TorqPersonalTraining.com
