We all know when we’re putting in too many hours at work. We recognise the signs if we’re drinking too much, too often. We figure it out pretty quickly if we’re constantly stressing and forgetting to unwind. But how do we know if we’re overtraining? And why am I even writing about this?
The way I see it, exercise is meant to add to our lives. It should give us more energy, new friends, a healthy outlet and a whole lot of fun. The problem is when people take it too far and exercise makes them less healthy. It’s a fine line.
Excessive exercise places stress on the body. We can handle it when everything else is running smoothly. But if we train too hard when we’re working long hours or generally stressed, something has to give. That something is our health – mental or physical. Or both.
Here are some signs that you are overtraining:
- You get worse at your sport. No matter how hard you try, you are slower, weaker or generally worse than you used to be.
- You always feel like you’re running on empty.
- You have unexplained aches and pains. Especially sore legs.
- You’re grumpy and irritable for no reason.
- You’ve injured yourself.
What’s right for someone else might not be right for you. We all need to try and meet the national guidelines for physical activity (30 minutes, most days of the week). But how far above & beyond that we go depends on our health, our lifestyle and why we’re training in the first place. Comparing yourself to your super fit friend or your couch potato neighbour is a waste of time. Follow these tips to keep a healthy balance in your training:
- Have at least one rest day a week. Maybe 2.
- Mix it up. You need to combine different types of training (eg running, weights, swimming & yoga), different session lengths and different intensities. A combination of short sharp sessions and longer, endurance training is the way to go.
- Focus on now. Life changes. Juggling work, family, injuries and whatever else is going on could mean that you can’t exercise as much as you used to. That’s OK – just make the most of what you can do.
- Listen to your body. You’ll figure out if you really need a break, or if you’re just making excuses to get out of exercise. If you’re honest with yourself, you’ll know where to draw the line.
