Give Your Body A Fitness Break – Know When To Back Off

If a little exercise is good for you then a whole lot of exercise must be even better, right? Well, not necessarily. There comes a point when you proverbially “hit the wall” and your agility, strength and speed all plateau no matter how hard you work out. Or worse, there may come a time when your body says “enough already!”

Ironically, many people who are new to fitness and exercise are often the ones who experience body burnout. They get a little too eager and far too impatient; striving to lose all their excess weight in one week so they can run a marathon the following week.

This is understandable considering the fast-paced, results-driven society we live in. “Newbies” must realize that a marathon runner didn’t sprint 26 miles his first time on the track – he may have only been able to walk briskly for one mile. You should only gradually reach your fitness goals; otherwise your body will rebel and you’ll get hurt.

Even experienced fitness enthusiasts make another mistake that can lead to body burnout: they fill every one of their workouts with intense, hard and demanding exercises. Even the best triathletes don’t run 10 miles, cycle 100 miles and swim 1,000 meters in every time they workout; their bodies cannot sustain it and neither can yours.

Overtraining - Even The Best Triathletes Don’t Run 10 Miles, Cycle 100 Miles And Swim 1,000 Meters Every Time They Workout

Overtraining - Even The Best Triathletes Don’t Run 10 Miles, Cycle 100 Miles And Swim 1,000 Meters Every Time They Workout

How do you know if you’re working out too hard? The American Council on Exercise has listed the following symptoms of overtraining:

* Decreased ability to perform your workouts
* Loss of balance while exercising
* Prolonged recovery periods from your workouts
* Elevated heart rate in the morning
* Decrease in appetite
* Acute muscle soreness
* Gastrointestinal discomforts
* Increased incidents of colds, flu, and other illnesses
* Increase incidence of sports and exercise-related injuries
* Inability to get a full night’s rest

Yet not all of the signs of body burnout are physical. Moderate amounts of exercise will improve your mood and reduce stress; however, too much exercise can leave you depressed and short-tempered. Psychological and emotional signs of overtraining include depression, fatigue, mental fogginess, irritability, and reduced self-esteem.

In addition, over-exercising can have some negative effects on your longevity. A famous study of 17,000 Harvard alumni showed that those who exercised in excess had a slight increase in death rate as compared to the control group. Researchers believe that over-exercising can increase cellular oxidation: this in turn leads to increased free radical formation, some of which can lead to cellular mutation and cancer.

So, once you recognize the symptoms of overtraining, it’s important to honestly face the cause. You may be overtraining in order to get ready for an upcoming sports competition or even a class reunion. It’s understandable to want to increase the amount and intensity of your workouts before an event, but nothing is worth compromising your health and well-being.

Overtraining may have more to do with emotional or psychological reasons than physical ones. Compulsive exercise or exercise addiction is now seen as a psychological problem, similar to anorexia and body dimorphic disorder. If you’re working out beyond the point of exhaustion, exercising while you’re injured, or if the time spend working out causes you to ignore other parts of your life, you may have an exercise addiction.

For some, the solution is as easy as taking more days off and reducing the intensity of your workouts.

Others might want to take the following additional steps to ease or prevent over training:

* If depression is an underlying reason why you may over train, then you should get evaluated and treated. Depression is one of the biggest psychological problems among over trained athletes and fitness buffs. Training history, discussions with your trainer and a family history can help you determine if you’re suffering from depression.

* Getting good nutrition is essential in recovering from body burnout. Make sure you eat a balanced diet, and give consideration to any extra vitamins and supplements you might need to speed your recovery. The most common deficiency, especially in women, is iron, zinc, and magnesium. Calcium deficiencies are also common if you are performing intense workouts while severely restricting your caloric intake.

* Getting an adequate amount of sleep is vital as is easing other stressors in your life. Now is the time to pamper yourself; buy a new outfit, find a new hobby or spend time with friends, anything that makes you feel better. Of course sexual activity is always helpful as it relaxes and modulates your neurotransmitters beneficently.

* Gentle massage and thermotherapy (including sauna bathing) are can be wonderful ways to speed your recovery. A word of caution: powerful massage is also a type of muscle exertion so it may slow down the recovery process. But pedicures, manicures and facials are definitely okay.

The key, it seems, to staying healthy is to do everything in moderation. Just because your friend exercises all day (or claims to) doesn’t mean you must do the same. You know the old adage: two wrongs don’t make a right . . . Your body needs time to adjust, adapt and, yes, even recuperate. Over exercising will get you as close to your fitness goals as not exercising at all; remember – moderation can be a good thing!