Over Training

Are you Overtraining? 

We are all being told to move more, so the more fitness sessions we cram into a working week is better, right? – Well, not exactly. 

When it comes to volume of exercise there is a tipping point, going past this point can do more harm than good. Commonly this is caused by:
A) Too much exercise without adequate recovery 
B) Chronic Under-fueling

This ‘tipping point’ is known as Overtraining Syndrome (OTS) and from personal & professional experience this not a place you want to be. 

My Personal Experience with OTS

I’m Alice a personal trainer and owner of @The BOX in Derby. My motto is to inspire my members to adopt good health as so much more than just “a great workout”, we look at all aspects from physical fitness, nutrition, mindset and community. 

During my time in the fitness industry my approach to fitness has changed drastically! My first year as a Fitness Trainer I was a student in Australia, working two jobs and fitting in one (or even two) high intensity workouts nearly 6 to 7 days a week – whilst also trying to have a social life and study for exams – as you might have guessed I didn’t sleep much. My performance was decreasing, my mood was up and down and I was constantly feeling fatigued leading to regular “Burn Out” when I normally fell ill as a result. This cycle continued for a while as I generally believed to be a Personal Trainer I had to be constantly active, how can I expect my members to exercise when I’m not doing the work either? 

My mindset soon did a 360, with lots of injury rehabilitation, good nutrition, quality rest and a NEW mindset I found my ‘Mo-jo’ back for fitness again – ready to inspire and guide members with the right attitude.

What Signs of Overtraining should you look out for?

1. Decreased Performance
One sign to look out for is lack of improved performance over a period of time, despite an increase in training intensity or volume. Decreased strength or endurance are also common signs of overtraining. 

2. Increased perceived effort during workouts
Are you finding workouts you would normally breeze through hard? This can also be shown by an abnormally elevated heart rate during exercise or throughout the day, you may find that it takes your HR longer to return to normal after a workout. 

3. Excessive Fatigue
A couple of days of fatigue or “heavy legs” is expected at times, but if you’re not giving your body a chance to fully recover from previous workouts you can be doing more harm than good – This can be the result of poor recovery or too little fueling. 

4. Agitation and moodiness
Overtraining can have a big affect on your stress hormones, including cortisol and epinephrine, causing mood swings, unusual irritability and an inability to concentrate. 

5. Restless sleep 
Sleep is the best time for our body to rest and repair itself, but the overproduction of stress hormones can disturb you from completely relaxing, making sleep much less effective. 

So how can we prevent Overtraining?

It can be a tricky one to predict whether you’re at risk of overtraining because everyone responds differently to various training routines and is also dependant on personal lifestyle factors. However, it is important for everyone to schedule adequate time for rest within their training routine. 

Try the following tips to prevent Overtraining:

1. Notice your mood
Regular decreased positive feelings for your training, such as fatigue, irritability or even depression. Notice these feelings, take some time to rest or dial back the intensity. 

2. Keep a Training Log & Schedule lower intensity days
It’s great to challenge yourself but each workout doesn’t have to leave you lying on the floor surrounded by a pool of sweat. Ensure your workouts are varied throughout the week with some lower intensity sessions. 

3. Monitor your Heart Rate
Track changes in your heart rate over time. Monitor your heart rate at rest and during exercise; if there is an abnormal change it could be something to consider talking to a health professional about. 

4. Listen to your body
Whatever physical activity you’re engaged in it’s important to listen to how you’re feeling. Notice when you may be working too hard and give yourself permission to rest. 

Overall, this blog post isn’t here to scare you or prevent you from exercising, far from it, but to remind you exercise isn’t about breaking your body to the point of exhaustion. Rest & Recovery is an essential part of training and allows us to keep doing what we love – take it, enjoy it and never feel guilty for it! 

Alice Park – @TheBox

Find out more about Alice and @TheBox by checking out her profile!