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If you are an athlete or someone closely following any form of sport, then training is a part of your regime. Indulging in training is important as it leads to better performance. But as it is said “excess of everything is bad”, so is applicable in training too. Too much training or Overtraining can cause you more harm than help. Before going deep into the article, it is essential to understand the term Overtraining.
What is Overtraining?
Let’s first understand the difference between Overreaching and Overtraining. Both the terms are popular in the field of sports.
When a sportsperson is not resting enough between workouts for recovery from muscle soreness, it is called Overreaching. The person feels tired after continuous workout days but can easily recover through proper rest.
Overtraining, on the other hand, happens when an athlete ignores symptoms of overreaching and continues with the training schedule. They work or train harder to achieve their goals and, in the process, end up pushing themselves to a level where their bodies further break down. They reach the level of Overtraining and recovery from it is a lengthy process, taking weeks or months. Such a situation is a challenging one for a dedicated sports person as they require to take time off from their training schedule to give recovery time to their bodies.
What are the symptoms of overtraining?
If you are a fitness freak who loves to hit the gym regularly for a longer duration, then chances are that you may end up overtraining your body that will do no good to you or your body. You may feel run-down, fatigued, or demotivated. However, looking at the larger picture, a few pointers have been identified that clearly indicate that your body is overtrained and is screaming for help:
Lack of motivation
When you feel that you are feeling demotivated and experiencing a drop in your exercise drive, be sure that you are overtraining yourself. Lack of motivation is a clear indication of such a feeling.
Muscle soreness
Feeling slight soreness in the muscle after a normal workout schedule is common. But if you consistently feel that your joints are hurting to the extent that your daily chores and activities are hit, then you are heading towards overtraining yourself. Your body is telling you that it cannot handle any more workouts or training. It needs complete rest and time-off from the training schedule.
A drop in performance
If you are training regularly, you should feel energetic and motivated to cover the extra mile of your targeted goals. But if the reverse is happening and your performance is showing a dip, then you are overtraining yourself. Try to focus on the quality of your workout and not the quantity. Your performance will clearly indicate whether your workout is doing good for your body or otherwise. Maybe, those additional reps of the same exercise are not producing any desirable or productive results. You may also feel your energy level getting drained.
Mood swings
If you are getting irritable during or after the workout schedule due to fatigue and tiredness, then your body needs rest. You are not showing any signs of interest or motivation before your workout schedule, then you need to take time off and rest. Physical activity is linked to lowering the level of anxiety and depression but if you feel the reverse, then you are overtraining yourself. Feeling irritable for petty things and experiencing mood swings are also common symptoms of overtraining.
Shortness of breath
A general feeling of breath shortness during exercising is normal. But you are panting even while you are not working out, then your body is showing signs of overtraining and requires rest for a long period.
Nausea and vomiting
The feeling of throwing up after the workout schedule is not a desirable feeling or result at all. If you experience nausea while workout or vomit after the schedule, then your body is not happy with the routine. Pushing your body to exercise more than it can handle can lead to such results. Moreover, being dehydrated during the workout session can also lead to such a feeling. So, taking short water breaks during the exercise routine is a common sight in gyms.
Losing grip strength
If you lose your grip strength during lifts, be sure that you have a fatigued body. One of the best ways to determine your grip strength is to use grip strength equipment like Squegg, the digital handgrip dynamometer. Measuring the grip strength can give you a clear idea about overtraining. The grip strength is weak in the morning. So, it is a good idea to test the grip strength in the afternoon. It is one of the most accurate and reliable ways to assess that you are overtraining yourself.
Final Thoughts
The symptoms that our body exhibits are good enough to tell us that we need a change in our workout schedule. A long period of rest follows once the body is overtrained. Rest is one of the best ways to manage overtraining.
By Sawoni Chowdhury
who is an aficionado of writing and an expert writer/blogger who shares her views and opinions on a range of topics such as Business, Lifestyle, Entertainment etc.
Member since August, 2017
View all the articles of Sawoni Chowdhury.
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