How to avoid workout injuries

Most of us that are into working out have pushed ourselves a little too far -- sometimes to the point where it hurts. This is a normal part of understanding where your limits are, but generally speaking, you should never experience pain while you're exercising. Back pain, neck aches, joint soreness and other symptoms may indicate that your technique is wrong, or you're doing too much, too fast, or that you need to see a doctor.

To minimize the chances that you'll injure yourself, ease into your workout. Your warm-up should take at least 15 minutes, and include things like gentle jogging, or jumping jacks to get your cardiovascular and lung systems going. You should obviously stretch -- but don't overdo it here either. The idea is to get the muscles and joints relaxed, so work slowly, and gradually.

If you're trying something brand new, you may want to seek advice from an expert. There's no shame in asking for help -- especially when poor technique is the leading cause of injury behind bad warm-ups or over-exertion.

Above all, listen to yourself, and use common sense. Your abilities aren't going to dramatically change overnight. Working yourself into the ground today only increases the chances that you won't try again tomorrow.