Four telltale signs that exercise is wrecking your body
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They say that when it comes to achieving your exercise goals, it’s ‘no pain, no gain.’ You just keep going as hard as you can and as often as possible. But what a lot of people don’t understand is that too much pain could be your body telling you that you’re overtraining. Even though exercise is generally good for you, going too hard all the time will have negative effects. If you’re experiencing these signs, then maybe it’s time to reassess your workout frequency.
1. Insomnia/restlessness
If you train too much, your nervous system remains stimulated and excited, which can make you feel unfocused and restless. Further lack of sleep can affect your mood and recovery, which affects your overall immune system.
2. Fatigue
Stress causes an increase in a number of hormones and it’s your adrenal gland’s job to manage and respond to it. But according to a study, chronic overtraining can impair its functions; your body is then unable to keep up with the hormonal balance. This eventually leads to fatigue.
3. Extended muscle soreness
It’s normal to experience soreness after a workout, but if it seems like yours is lasting longer than usual, then it’s a sign that your muscles aren’t recovering. If you still feel sore even with proper sleep and diet, it’s a common sign of overtraining.
4. Stunted progress
If you’re monitoring your changes and notice that you don’t seem to be improving, that could be a sign of overtraining. Your muscles aren’t recovering enough and all those microscopic tears are being torn again every time you exercise. If this continues, you may even experience a time when you can’t even finish your regular exercise because of soreness and low stamina.
Symptoms of overtraining tend to overlap or have a domino effect because of similar reasons. It’s really less about training too much and more about not recovering sufficiently. Even seasoned athletes know their limits.