After 40 years of taking high-impact cardio classes practically every day, my feet cried uncle. Nothing serious, but tendonitis plus the dreaded plantar fasciitis caused enough pain to shout, “Change what you’re doing, sister!”

I’d resisted the “tamer” (ha!) mat classes for years, preferring the dance-y aerobic workouts, secretly convinced that those quiet classes were too easy. And wouldn’t I be ‘giving up’ by radically changing my workouts?

One year later, I’m a new woman. I did a lot of PT plus at-home exercises. And a modified weekly gym schedule of high-impact classes alternating with Pilates and yoga keeps me pretty much pain-free these days.

What a change from a year ago.

In this situation, being stubborn and competitive hurt me. I learned to accept a physical limitation and try something new. If you knew me at all, this was a big deal.

But the bigger lesson was this: taking Pilates and eventually a yoga class during the week gave me satisfaction in ways brand new to me. Almost immediately, I left these classes feeling a wellness that I hadn’t experienced in any cardio class. Remember, we’re talking 40 years here.

So whatever new thing you’re afraid of trying – or refusing to try, out of pigheadedness – learn from my story that until you give something a whirl, you don’t know if it could be exactly what you need…and turn out to love.

Margie Dana is a ghostwriter, content consultant, and blogger-for-hire. Her specialty is printing & the graphic arts. She writes marketing content that attracts and engages clients’ customers and prospects. She also likes writing case studies – and occasionally posts musings about life in general. Learn more at Margiedana.com.

(c) 2015 Margie Dana