You can, and probably should, push your limits.
But because I harp on so much about reasonable workouts and a balanced approach to health and fitness, some of you might think that I am against intense workouts.
If that’s the case, it’s on me for not being clear enough. Something that my wife would likely agree on.
Here’s a snippet of a recent text message conversation I had with a client who’s dealing with long-Covid. I’ll share her comment and my reply here slightly edited as it’s a nice overview (for once!) of the whole graceful fitness idea I go on about.
Client’s comment, shared with permission:
“If I remember your story correctly, I think you’ve learned this for yourself as well. Train smarter, not harder. (But you have to admit – it was kinda fun to push the limit and just exhaust oneself every now and then?)”
My reply:
“In the past it [the way I trained] was as hard as possible for as long as possible for as often as possible. Now it’s mostly shorter workouts <45min, mostly medium intensity. Some days I get into the workout and everything just feels off. I stop and go for a walk instead. Occasionally, when I feel really good, I’ll push it.”
”You don’t have to settle for only doing medium workouts for the rest of your life. Just know when to push it and when to hold back.”
There you have it. Hope that clears it up a bit.
-J