Respect Your Limits!

 

Our bodies are communicating with us all of the time but unfortunately we are all so busy "running" that we tend to ignore or simply do not see the signs.

I had a dream that I found one of my top students sitting off in the corner during our class, looking completely exhausted. Normally this individual is full of energy so it completely freaked me out to notice this while I was teaching. I went over to this person to see if everything was alright and there was no response.  I woke up before I could discover anything terrible about this person but what it tells me is perhaps I need to write a general message to all of my students to take note of how they are feeling.

I know that I have tough students in my classes. I am aware that many of you are fighting physical challenges. What I am concerned about is while it is alright to push ourselves to a certain degree, to get to class regularly, it is not wise to push yourselves beyond pain or when we are sick.

I have a few clients who are attending many classes per week, almost too many. Consider that if you are training the same muscle groups everyday, for example doing squats, you are setting yourself up for potential injury. Ideally you balance out your daily workouts to make sure that there is variety in your week. Some cardio. Some muscle conditioning and stretching. Doing more is not always better.

I also have some clients who are discovering that the workout that they have been doing for years is becoming too much for them. This is happening in three different classes. There is a tendency to think that just because you have done the same workout for last 15 years that you will be able to continue the same workout into your eighties and nineties. Sometimes the body starts to tell us that it is too much. Perhaps we cannot manage the muscle conditioning segments safely anymore or the cardio component is leaving us breathless.  You must look at these signs and make necessary changes if you want to continue working out safely. Listen to your body. No one wants you to get injured doing your favorite activity. If we are struggling, we may fall or faint and get seriously hurt as a result.  Only you know how you are feeling. You must consider what is best for you in the long run.

I hope this helps.

Respect your limits and find new ways to continue exercising. There are so many options available for all levels of fitness.

Have a great day.
Beth