Trust your body's instincts
Not long ago, my husband and three of our kids went charging up Mount Katahdin—think of it as New England's mini Mount Everest. I'd spent months hiking with friends to make sure I was in shape and, at the start, hustled to keep pace with our teenagers as we hauled ourselves up the steep boulders. But within a couple of hours I was straggling; they leapt past me like giddy mountain goats while I carefully picked my way up the rocks.
Was I disappointed? Actually, no. I felt smart. My 40-something body was telling me how to protect it from injury—and my hips and feet thanked me later. It turns out that our bodies routinely transmit this evolving wisdom, gently steering us away from activities or indulgences we can no longer tolerate to ones that will ensure continued good health.
Here are six other things your body's trying to tell you.