The first couple of months of the year are often a challenge for health and fitness. Many people miss the 'New year, new you' boat and the 'February is the new January' window. This time of year can be the first opportunity to settle into a consistent regime. If your break in routine began before Christmas, it can be tempting to hit March hard.
When you restart your regime it’s important to ease in gently. Exercise is great but it’s possible to have too much of a good thing. Physical activity damages muscle fibres, and rest allows them to recover and reconstruct in stronger formations. So, physical gains actually occur outside of the gym. 'Over-training' is the fancy way of saying 'too much exercise'. It’s an imbalance between work and recovery.
The first sign that you might be over-training is a drop in performance. Physical tasks you could previously handle effortlessly become difficult. The over-trained body loses strength, endurance and coordination. Weights that once felt manageable can feel heavier and a running pace can decline despite consistent effort. You may struggle to maintain form and become progressively slower, weaker and more lethargic.
The second sign is a drop in results. When hormones are operating normally, you’ll find that losing fat and gaining muscle is basically a matter of a healthy diet and healthy activity. Over-training causes hormonal havoc; testosterone plunges, and cortisol rises. This slows down metabolic rate and increases insulin resistance, leading to the body holding tight to fat.
The third sign is an increase in injuries. As you train in an increasingly weakened state you’ll find yourself aggravating old injuries, creating new ones and finding odd aches and pains that won’t go away. It could be poor form, muscle overuse or muscle tightness. It’s probably a combination of all of them, and it means your body is not a comfortable place to be.
The fourth sign is an increase in illnesses. If you’re exercising in a healthy manner you will develop a stronger immune system and will find you don’t get sick too often. However, if you’re over-training you’ll be vulnerable to every bug floating about. Excessive exercise leads to chronic inflammation, which can impair the body’s immune response and slow down recovery from illness. Daylight saving ends soon and before long, the weather will cool and 'flu season begin. This is an important time of year to be resilient.
The fifth sign is a drop in morale. This is no surprise when your performance is going down, your weight is going up and you’re struggling with injuries and illnesses. Sleep can become unsettled, and you’re likely to feel drained and sluggish, both in and out of the gym. At this point, exercise stops elevating your mood, and it’s easy to lose the motivation to move at all.
There are many ways to reduce your risk of over-training beyond looking at your volume of exercise. Your threshold can be pushed out with a focus on foundation habits. Nutrition, hydration, sleep and stress management all have a role to play in how effectively your body recovers from physical exertion.
Listen to your body to appreciate its capabilities and respect its limitations. The appropriate volume of exercise and recovery practices will help you move towards your goals in a consistent and enjoyable way.
