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POTENTIAL PITFALL: ASSUMING SOMETHING IS EASY Some exercises can be more challenging than they appear in a photo or video, as Una Murray, 62, a retired administrator in Pelham, N.Y.,

recently discovered. Accustomed to regular workouts with a personal trainer, she figured the 30-minute at-home workout she found in a magazine would be easy enough to knock out.

Unfortunately, one move involved what she describes as a “Rockettes-style” kick, which she performed suddenly and vigorously, leading to excruciating lower body pain. Via a FaceTime session,

her trainer suggested she had injured her piriformis, a muscle that helps the hip rotate, and recommended a program of stretches. A month after the initial injury, however, “It’s still

tender,” she says. Just do this: Start working at a lower intensity than you think you can be at, advises Fetters. If you feel OK, then you can slowly take it up a notch. “Aim to end each

workout feeling better than when you started,” says Fetters. POTENTIAL PITFALL: IGNORING PAIN Determined to stay fit, novices and fitness veterans alike will sometimes try to ignore how much

a movement hurts. But that’s a recipe for injury, especially after a certain age — and doubly so for exercises likely to exacerbate existing conditions, such as lower back pain. “A lot of

people are moving too quickly, too fast,” Ahmed says. Just do this: Pay attention to any sudden twinges. “Listen to your body,” says Fetters. “Pain is your body’s way of telling you to

stop.” In general, keep going until you’re fatigued. But if you feel a sudden pain, stop. You also can swap movements that are likely to exacerbate certain problems for alternatives. For

example, when doing yoga, if a pose is uncomfortable try a substitute. Do you have a history of knee pain? Instead of Pigeon Pose, a potential alternative is Happy Baby, which also opens up

the hips without putting too much pressure on the knee, Fetters notes. You may also need to swap one type of exercise for another — say, higher-impact jogging for lower-impact biking.

Alternating different types of exercise can also help save aging knees or strengthen muscles to make your preferred exercise less painful on the days you do it.