Don't forget to warm up before exercising

So you think baseball pitchers go to the bullpen to warm up just for fun, because they were bored sitting at the bench? Well, think again. Warming up before you exercise is almost as important as exercising itself, and it can lead you to a more productive, not to mention pain-free, experience.

Stretching and taking it easy at first allows your muscles to slowly warm up and get to the flexibility levels required for them to function properly during the exercise itself, which can be more vigorous and demanding, depending on your age and physical conditioning. Failing to warm up appropriately can not only lead to a more painful experience while exercising, but also strains and muscle pulls.

Then, while exercising, learn to see the signs your body is showing you of its limits. Especially when you're first starting a new exercising routine, your body will tell you when it's time to slow down or stop. The pain will generally be concentrated on those areas you had not been working on for a while, and which are being asked to do extra work in the new type of exercise you have been undertaking.

And if even after a while this pain doesn't go away or at least lessens up somewhat, check out with your doctor or a physical trainer to make sure you're not doing an exercise in the wrong way or putting too much pressure on a vulnerable part of your body. Better be safe than injuring yourself in the process, which in turn could lead to months of physiotherapy to fix the damage done.