Everyone knows that feeling of excitement when you are first starting a new exercise routine. You have enthusiasm, you see results and you are pushing yourself harder each time.
But after a while, that motivation can begin to fade. As you attempt to continually intensify or prolong the duration of your workouts, you soon start to undergo negative psychological and physical changes.
These negative symptoms may be linked to overtraining. Overtraining is when you push your body harder and beyond limits that it is able to recover from.
Some of the symptoms of overtraining can include decreased enthusiasm for training and training intensity and increased injuries or illness.
Other common symptoms of overtraining are irritability, insomnia, fatigue, depression and decrease in appetite.
Athletes in training for a specific event are typically the target group of that experience overtraining syndrome because of the extent to which they push themselves. It is easy to be overtraining and not know or recognize it.
When we work out, we are actually breaking our bodies down. You do not become more powerful in your workouts, but rather in your rest and recovery periods.
Rest and recovery allow for progressive overload, the process by which you can intensify your workouts and achieve greater results. This is the best way for your muscle fibers to mend and become stronger.
Scheduling at least one complete rest day into your training program is essential, particularly if you're training hard most days throughout the week. Overuse injuries can be prevented by working opposing muscles during strength training.
Setting aside at least one day during your exercise schedule for cross-training is also a good idea. This is especially important if your training program consists of exercises where the same muscle groups are been used again and again. Switching it up will also decrease boredom and allow you to have more enthusiasm for your training.
If you have symptoms of overtraining it is important to rest. Three to five days of complete rest from an activity will do the trick, but for more extreme cases it can take weeks before you can recover.
When you are recovering, it is important to take in lots of fluids.to cleanse the body of toxins and built up lactic acid.
A sports massage is a good way to rejuvenate the muscles and help you relax. Try soaking in a warm bath with Epsom salt to reduce soreness.
Athletes training for specific events do not have the luxury of taking time off to recover. To avoid overtraining, many athletes therefore incorporate a year-round training plan, also known as periodization.
Through periodization, athletes are able to split their training into time frames. This leads to optimal performance at the most important time - right before a race, competition or playoffs.
For those who are working out because of a desire for general fitness or weight loss, there is no set time frame at which they would like to achieve peak physical fitness. For these exercisers, the mind set is, "The harder I work, the faster I will get results."
This holds true to some degree, but the more intense and strenuous daily workouts do not include the proper amount of time for recovery. This means that there is a higher likelihood of injury.
Ultimately you should remember to keep everything in perspective - rest and recovery are just as important a part of fitness as training. Your body will thank you.
