No pain no gain? Your body wants a word.

As a track cyclist on the U.S. Olympic team's sprint relay, Joshua Hartman spends much of his training time lifting weights to build strength and speed. In 2023, when he tried to deadlift a load that was near the limit of his ability, he noticed that his form was off and the weight wasn't moving as fast as he wanted.

“Instead of listening to the little signals my body was giving me, like tightness in my hips and knees, I ignored it and pushed through it,” Mr. Hartman said.

At the highest weight of his last set he felt pain in his back. Hoping it was nothing, he moved on to the next exercise.

“I bent over to pick up the bar and I was in so much pain I wanted to cry,” Mr Hartman said.

The next day he was in pain and his back was swollen and painful to the touch. The diagnosis was a tissue tear and he was ordered to stop training, jeopardizing his chances at October's Pan American Games and perhaps even the 2024 Olympics.

Top athletes often walk a tightrope, pushing themselves hard while listening to their bodies to avoid injuries. For the rest of us, the stakes are lower, but there is an important lesson to be learned from Mr. Hartman's experience: While challenging yourself is important, ignoring pain can lead to problems.

Listening to your body doesn't mean you have to stop when your legs start to hurt, or that you should never push your limits. But it does mean being more intentional about your workouts and being willing to change your training plan when necessary.

Recognize the wrong kind of pain.

Aches and pains are part of working out, says Dr. Jordan Metzl, sports medicine physician at the Hospital for Special Surgery, author and triathlete.

“If it doesn't hurt a little bit, you're probably not pushing hard enough,” he said.

The main difference between healthy discomfort and unhealthy pain is whether it changes how your movement works. That's when you should stop and take a rest day, or consult a professional.

To learn to recognize changes in your form, practice “body scans” during your next training session, says Sean McCann, a psychologist for the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee.

This might mean noticing how your legs feel when you run on a flat surface, rather than running up a hill, or how your arm muscles feel when you add ten pounds to your bench press. Pay attention to the feeling of muscle pain (which is normal) and watch out for joint pain (which is often a sign of trouble), said Dr. McCann.

The discomfort may go away after your body warms up, but if it doesn't, it's probably time to change course. For example, if you're training for a 10k and feel a twinge in your hip that hurts while sprinting, take some time off or switch to a different exercise. This requires patience and discipline, he said.

Manage discomfort with mindfulness.

While expert athletes are used to the feeling of intense training, everyday athletes often prefer to distract themselves from their burning lungs and quads, says Diana Winston, director of mindfulness education at the UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center. But she recommends a different approach: Stop, take a deep breath, observe and move on (or STOP).

If you are working through a series back squats and you start to feel uncomfortable, take a moment to observe the sensations in your body. Are you bothered by the heavy barbell on your back and the effort it takes to get out of the squat, or are you bothered by worrying pain on one side of your back?

“You don't necessarily embrace the pain,” said Dr. McCann, “but you get familiar with it, and then you become more skilled at dealing with it, more skilled at interpreting what it means.”

Don't forget recovery.

Recovery from exercise is almost as important as exercise itself if you want to improve your fitness, said Dr. Samuel Galloway, an instructor at the UC San Diego School of Medicine who specializes in sports medicine. This means paying attention to sore muscles and taking a rest day at least once or twice a week.

A common mistake people make, especially during a burst of motivation, is ramping up their training too quickly and not allowing enough time to recover, he said.

Recovery includes hydration, healthy nutrition and good sleep. Your body needs rest to build muscle and replenish the energy used. If you feel exhausted and sore, take an active rest day. Go for a walk, stretch or do some gentle yoga.

Fortunately for Mr. Hartman, a week of complete rest and then three months of rehabilitation exercises did the trick. He qualified for the Pan American Games and his team finished fourth, scoring a personal best.

Looking back, Mr Hartman said he wished he had quit and asked his coach for feedback on his form as soon as he felt something was wrong.

“If I miss one day of training, my career won't end,” Mr. Hartman said, “but if I push myself and hurt myself, it certainly will.”

Hilary Achauer is a freelance health and fitness writer.