Are YOU Overtraining?
This will probably only speak to some of you. Who knows, maybe it will speak to all of you. Its definitely something I can relate to.
When I first started going to the gym I LOVED it. I caught the bug right away. I went every day - 6 days a week (not on Sunday). Once in a while I'd go twice. I'd hit a night class or something. The gym became my home away from home.
I didn't go to socialize. I wasn't going to make friends, meet people, or hang out. I was in my own little world once I got to the gym. I felt fierce, unconquerable. I felt strong, confident, like I could do anything. I'd work each body part. I'd fit in as many exercises and machines as I possibly could - just knowing I'd be feeling the pain later - and to me, at the time, that felt good.
I'd train. and train. and train.
Sometimes for 2 - 3 hours.
As if that wasn't enough, I'd usually RUN even before that. I'd go running every morning before my hubby would leave for work. I'd fit in 3 miles. Sometimes 4. Sometimes more.
It was only after he'd left for work and I'd see my son off to school I'd hit the gym.
I'd train. and train. and train.
I had the energy. I felt the rush. I was a "gym junkie". I liked the way it made me feel and even more I liked the way I started to look. I was getting results. It felt great.
That went on for awhile.
And then somewhere along the line...I burned out.
What used to be energy was now tiredness.
What used to be 2-3 hours was maybe 1 1/2.
What used to be pushing the limits was now barely pushing enough.
I was tired. Exhausted. Depressed. Melancholy.
Does any of this sound familiar?
I was overtrained.
It can happen to the best of us, and it's something you shouldn't ignore. Some people try to push through it. They think they are stronger than the temporary feelings they have. They push harder. They try harder. In some cases it works; in others, they get hurt.
That's the risk of overtraining. The important thing to remember is to listen to your body. Listen to what your feelings are. If you're tired, do something about it. Take a break. Do something different. Change your schedule. Go later. Or don't go at all (meaning - take some time off). Try a different hobby. Change it up.
One of my favorite quotes is, "If you continue to do what you've always done, you'll continue to get what you've always gotten." So true in so many respects. You could apply that to almost any aspect of your life. But for this purpose, it applies to training. If you are doing the same training day after day after day and you're now burned out, you are only going to see a change if you make a change.
I found the following list helpful as I was pondering overtraining and how it's affected me in the few years I've been aggressively getting healthy.
Common warning signs of overtraining include:
- Washed-out feeling, tired, drained, lack of energy
- Mild leg soreness, general aches and pains
- Pain in muscles and joints
- Sudden drop in performance
- Insomnia
- Headaches
- Increased number of colds, and sore throats
- Decrease in training capacity / intensity
- Moodiness and irritability
- Depression
- Loss of enthusiasm for the sport
- Decreased appetite
- Increased incidence of injuries
- A compulsive need to exercise
Most all of the articles mentioned it's hard to determine at exactly what point you're overtraining. It said that everyone is different. One thing they all noted was if you are experiencing any of the above and feel it's a possibility that you're overtraining, get adequate rest. Rest. Relax. Slow down.
The good news? I came out of it. It took some time, but after slowing down, regrouping, refocusing, spending more time with my family, my friends, and my other roles, my desire to train hard again came back, but it's only because I listened. I did something about it. That yucky feeling still visits me every now and again as a reminder that I need to not push quite so hard. I try to be really in tune with what my body is telling me.
We want our journey to better health to be long-standing. We want to enjoy the process - not only for the short-term but for the long-term as well.
Overtraining won't help you get there any more quickly. It might actually do just the opposite, so listen to your body.
Sometimes slowing down and resting will get you better long-term results.
Happy careful and cautious Training!
jen.fit.training@gmail.com
