What should you do if you feel tension during a movement?

• A. Take a short break and stretch
• B. Push through the tension
• C. Continue but with reduced effort
• D. Stop, reset, adjust alignment, breathing, and muscle engagement

Answer: (D)

When tension shows up, the first priority is to pause and reset your approach. Tension often comes from a misalignment, held breath, or uneven muscle engagement, and simply pushing through won’t fix the underlying issue. By stopping and re-establishing a clean line, proper breathing, and the right amount of muscle support, you bring the body back into balance and make it safer to continue.

So, you stop, check your alignment (feet grounded, pelvis and spine in a lengthened, stable position, shoulders down, neck relaxed), reset your breathing (inhale to prepare, exhale as you engage or move), and re-tune which muscles are supporting the movement without over-gripping. Once the movement feels smooth and safe, you can continue, perhaps at a smaller range to rebuild control.

Avoid simply taking a quick stretch, pushing through, or continuing with reduced effort, as those options don’t address the cause of the tension and can promote compensations or injury.