This short and sweet holiday post was inspired by my own stupidity.

Ever notice how easy it is to give advice but not necessarily follow it in our own lives? Well, that’s exactly what happened in regards to my workout plan at the end of last week.

Instead of taking one more rest day to get over an annoying cold and cough that I picked up at the start of the week, I took a Physique57 “express” class Friday afternoon. Since the  class is 40 minutes instead of the normal 57, I thought, “no sweat, I can do this.” Well, I did do it…and ended up feeling simply awful afterward.  I had to lie on my couch for nearly two hours to restore my equilibrium (Note to self: daytime cold meds and non-stop push-ups, squats and glute work don’t mix.) Instead of feeling empowered like I normally do following the amazing barre workout, I felt sore, lethargic and unhappy. That is NOT how working out should make you feel!

The bottom line is sometimes we all have to take a step back to re-group and heal in order to make better gains in the long run. I admit, as a fitness junkie, there’s nothing worse than feeling sidelined by a cold bug or other minor  illness. However, sometimes you need to take a break to go back at it stronger and harder than before.

I hope this post also serves as a reminder that even seasoned fitness fanatics can exercise bad judgement. However, just like all the other aspects of life, sometimes making mistakes in the gym can teach you valuable lessons for tackling your health and fitness goals.

Finally, in honor of the man behind today’s holiday, I thought I’d share a few of Martin Luther King Jr’s inspirational quotes. Whether you use these words of wisdom to motivate you at the gym or in other areas of your life, I hope they give you a boost on your journey to have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!

“We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.”

“Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness.”

“Never succumb to the temptation of bitterness.”

“We must build dikes of courage to hold back the flood of fear.”

“The quality, not the longevity, of one’s life is what is important.”

–Martin Luther King, Jr.