The Effects of Overtraining
I admit, when I first joined the gym, I was so excited about getting in shape that I would sometimes go to the gym twice a day. I would lift weights and do cardio or take a class, and looked forward to the next day to do it again. I don’t go to the gym every day but I do attempt to exercise each day, even if it’s at home. Many people do get caught up in the idea that exercising a lot will get them to their fitness goals faster.
While a majority of people don’t exercise enough, there is a portion that can overtrain. It is good to know the signs of overtraining and its effects.
What is overtraining?
Overtraining happens when a person exercises too much without allowing the body to recover. It occurs more often in weight training, however, it is still possible in other physical activities such as running.
Some effects of overtraining
Overtraining is a good way to limit your progress. Instead of making gains from training a lot, you only end up limiting your progress due to a lack of rest that the body needs. Some of the most common symptoms of overtraining include:
- Loss of muscle tissue increased
- Persistent muscle soreness
- Fatigue
- Insomnia
- Increased risk of injury
- Decrease in appetite
- Irritability
How to avoid overtraining
The most obvious way to avoid overtraining is by taking breaks. Allow at least a couple of days out of the week for recovery or work out different muscle groups each day to allow other parts to recover. Also try to reduce the intensity of some of your workouts. If you trained really hard one day, take it easy the next.
I don’t worry too much about overtraining since I am sure to take my rest days. I look forward to my rest days just as much as working out.
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Comments
[...] Fitness writes about the effects of overtraining when you workout. I think this was a great post and a very important thing to keep in mind when you’re working [...]
I am a sixty year old black male who trains 4-5 days a week-bodybuilding and aerobics. Typically, my training session lasts from 70-90 minutes and includes both components.
I sometimes feel tired or flu-like symptoms which may be an indication of over training. Feeling this way causes me to shorten, somewhat the length of my training.
Additionally, Friday is an aerobics day only. Saturday and Sunday are rest days.
This works for me.
Good for you for taking your rest days!
They are just as important as the workouts themselves. Fueling the body with the right foods goes right along with the rest days and cross-training.
I think the important thing is listening to your body. Go ahead and push it…but not to the point of injury or burnout.