Listen to Your Body

The best thing you can do before, during, and after a workout is to listen to your body. It is the only thing that can help you prevent injury and even help heal an injury.

So many of us (yes, I say us because I'm more than guilty of this) tend to ignore what our bodies are saying because we want to out-do the person next to us in the Spinning Studio or at the gym. We are too thick in the skull to realize the warnings our bodies are screaming at us! Forget about the competition and do what is right for you. If your knees are killing you during Jumps or Sprints in a Spinning workout, sit down and rest them (while keeping your legs moving obviously!) and even lose some of the resistance. If you have knee problems, it's best not to lay the resistance on thick until after you've worked through some of the issues. If you need to sit down and grab a drink, then do it! You are in charge of your workout!

It's okay to back off when your body is telling you to back off! However, I once read a running quote that said something along the lines of, "Your legs aren't giving up, you are!" Know the difference between feeling the burn, feeling the pain, and just giving up. Remember, "There's a difference between feeling the burn and feeling the pain." Will you be able to tell the difference? Will you listen to your body?