When you exercise without giving yourself enough rest time between sessions, overtraining may result.
Excessive exercise can harm your mental health and hinder your progress, mainly if you schedule your workouts closely together.
OTS ( Overtraining syndrome ) can impair your fitness level, negatively impact your performance, and result in injuries.
Exercise-related symptoms like HIIT, aerobics, and weightlifting can all result in burnout.
It’s also common for athletes who specialize in one sport.
You may prevent overtraining by exercising within your limits and giving yourself enough time to recover between exercises.
Take care of yourself after each training volume, and make sure to fuel your efforts, so you have the energy to continue exercising.
What is Overtraining?
Overtraining is “pushing your body beyond its ability to recover from exercise.”
It occurs when the amount or intensity of training you’re doing starts to exceed your body’s ability to recover.
This can lead to a decrease in performance, injuries, and burnout.
Signs of Overtraining
Here are ten general symptoms of overtraining:
1. You’re working out too often
If you’re working out more than four times a week, chances are you’re overtraining.
Remember, your body needs time to recover between workouts to get stronger.
Working out too often will exhaust your body and prevent it from healing properly.
2. You’re not giving yourself enough rest
Rest is an essential part of any workout regimen. Not only does it allow your body to recover from your previous workout, but it also gives your muscles time to grow stronger.
You’re probably overtraining if you’re not giving yourself at least 48 hours of rest between workouts.
3. You’re not sleeping enough
You could find it challenging to unwind and let go of tension before night if your stress hormones are out of balance.
This interferes with your body’s essential time to sleep to rest, heal, and renew itself.
Chronic fatigue and mood swings can both result from poor sleep quality.
4. You’re not eating enough calories
Working out expends a lot of energy and can increase your appetite.
If you’re not eating enough calories to fuel your workouts, your body will start breaking down muscle for energy instead of building it up. How many calories you need depends on your weight, height, age, and activity level.
Carbs are essential for endurance athletes, and protein is vital for athletes relying on muscular strength and power.
Make sure you’re eating enough food to support your workout routine.
5. You’ve stopped seeing results
If you’ve been working out regularly but have stopped seeing results, it’s a sign that you may be overtraining.
Your body adapts quickly to changes in activity level, so if you want to keep seeing results, you need to mix up your routine frequently.
Otherwise, you’ll reach a plateau and stop making progress altogether.
6. You’ve developed new pains and overuse injuries
If you suddenly start growing new aches and pains in joints or stress fractures that haven’t been bothering you before.
It could indicate that you’ve developed an overuse injury from repetitive motions in your workout routine or that something else is happening with your body.
Either way, it’s best to see a doctor to get checked out. Remember, pain is never normal!
7. Your mood has changed for the worse
If working out has always made ‘you feel good, but now ‘it’s just a chore,’ then chances are good, ‘you’re overtraining.’ When we work out, our bodies release endorphins, which have mood-boosting effects.
However, too much exercise can lead to adrenal fatigue, which can cause irritability, anxiety, and depression. If working out has become a drag and no longer makes ‘you feel good,’ take a step back and reassess things.
8. You’re sick more often than usual
Overtraining can weaken the immune system, making ‘you’ more susceptible to getting sick.
You may feel run down and become sick more frequently during this time.
Additionally, you may be predisposed to infections, minor diseases, and upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs).
If ‘you find yourself getting sick more often than usual or taking longer to recover from illnesses, it may be due to overtraining.
9. Your workouts are shorter and less intense than usual
When we overtrain, our bodies go into survival mode to conserve energy.
As a result, our workouts tend to suffer as we don’t have the same level of energy or motivation as we usually do.
If your workouts have become shorter and less intense than they used to be, it’s a sign that something is wrong.
10. You’ve lost interest in other activities outside of the gym
When you begin training hard, it’s natural for your focus to shift away from other areas of your life and toward your goal of becoming healthier and fitter.
Things You Need to Avoid Overtraining
- Have a rest period if you are following challenging or lengthy workouts to avoid overtraining. If you engage in weight or resistance training, take a day or two off from focusing on a specific muscle area. Don’t let too much time pass between workout sessions simultaneously.
- Take a break from your exercise. The length of rest periods might range from 30 to 5 minutes. Reduce the duration and intensity of your sessions as necessary.
- You can also engage in stress-relieving practices like yoga Nidra or meditation to maintain a healthy stress level.
- You can also use a massage mat or massage tools to help reduce you’re too much stress.
- Eat a well-balanced meal with plenty of carbohydrates, protein, healthy fats, and fresh fruits and vegetables to get the calories you need to keep up with your training.
Treatments
Natural remedies and therapies can assist in healing. The most important factor is adequate rest.
Take a moment to unwind and stop all your activities. In every aspect of your life, slow down.
Get a massage that will concentrate on the troublesome muscles.
If getting a massage from a professional is not an option, you can massage yourself using muscle balm or essential oils for relaxation.
Other alternatives include hot and cold therapies. Try a heating pad, a sauna, or a hot bath to relieve sore muscles.
An ice pack or a cold shower could help lessen discomfort and swelling.
Choose a deep-tissue or sports massage to reduce muscle stress and muscle recovery.
Conclusion
Overtraining is a serious issue that can lead to reduced performance, injuries, and burnout.
It’s essential to be aware of the signs and symptoms of overtraining so that you can take steps to avoid it.
If you think you may be overtraining, make sure to see a doctor or other healthcare professional to rule out any other underlying medical conditions.
