Exercise is good for you, but how much? Is more better? Some times more is just that, more. There does come a time when your body does say “enough”. We all have our own personnel threshold. Triathletes can train for multiple sports at extreme levels and do very well, others do a little extra training and it puts them over the top. If exercise is leaving you more exhausted then energized, you may be over training.
Know the signs:
- Decreased performance
- Loss of coordination
- Prolonged recovery
- Elevated morning heart rate
- Elevated resting blood pressure
- Headaches
- Loss of appetite
- Muscle soreness/tenderness
- Gastrointestinal disturbances
- Decreased ability to ward off infection
- Increased incidence of musculoskeletal injuries
- Disturbed sleep patterns
All signs of overtraining are not physical, too much exercise can leave you feeling irritable, depressed, emotionally sensitive with a reduced self-esteem..
Once you understand the symptoms the cause needs to be honestly addressed. Increased training prior to a event is understandable, but when it starts to interfere with you mental and physical health the cost/ benefit ratio need an evaluation. It is important to understand the body needs time to acclimate to the increased training demands. For some overtraining is more psychological than physical. Exercising beyond the point of exhaustion while injured is now recognized as a sign of exercise addiction.
The answer to maintaing our health is moderation. The body needs time to adjust, adapt and heal. Overtraining is taking one step forward a falling back three steps.
