Many people approach Labour Weekend with a sense of urgency about their fitness. Marketing material aims to inspire panic – is your “beach body” ready? Are you “shredded for summer”? Are you prepared for “shorts season”? If you’ve been hibernating over winter it’s tempting to sign on for an extreme regime promising maximum results in minimum time. But too much exercise too quickly can put you into an over-trained state, moving you away from your goals rather than towards them. There are five warning signs that you’re doing too much.
Number one is a drop in performance. You have less strength, endurance and co-ordination. Physical tasks you could handle effortlessly become difficult.
Number two is a drop in results. When hormones are in balance you’ll find that losing fat and gaining muscle is basically a matter of healthy diet and healthy activity. This no longer holds true when you are over-training because testosterone and cortisol get out of whack, plus you’re more likely to have strong carbohydrate cravings as your body seeks quick energy.
Number three 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 odds aches and pains that just won’t go away.
Number four is an increase in illnesses. If you’re exercising in a healthy manner you will develop a strong 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.
Number five is a drop in morale. That’s hardly surprising when your performance is going down, your weight is going up and you’re struggling with injuries and illnesses. You feel drained and sluggish both in and out of the gym. You start to lose motivation to exercise at all.
Being in an over-trained state can be pretty miserable. Fortunately it can be managed with five simple strategies.
Number one is to build rest days into your exercise schedule. Rest means different things for different people but most recreational exercisers need at least one full day of rest from exercise each week.
Number two is to plan a variety of exercise types and intensities. A personal trainer can help you create an optimal schedule for your fitness level. Keep an eye on little niggles and don’t hesitate to go to the physio for some pre-hab – tackle a small problem before it grows up.
Number three is to take a close look at your diet. Make sure you are appropriately fuelled for the amount of exercise you are doing. Stay well hydrated both in and out of the gym.
Number four is sleep. Sleep is the time when the body recovers and repairs the tiny microscopic tears in the muscle fibres created from strength training. Sleep also helps regulate your appetite hormones, speeds up metabolic rate and gives you the mental energy to resist the urge to overeat.
Number five is stress management. If cortisol levels are already raised due to factors outside of the gym then exercise can compound the negative effects, slowing down metabolic rate and encouraging the body to hold tight to fat.
Fitness is an important component of health but too much of it can be a negative stress on your body. Aiming for year-round consistency is far healthier than unrealistic pressure and urgency. Target the level of exercise that moves you towards your goals while keeping you on an upward spiral of health and vitality.