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Exercise – can it really be a bad thing? Sometimes! Did you know that too much exercise can do more harm than good? When you exercise, you are tearing down your muscles (in a good way). When you rest, your body repairs those muscles which is how muscles grow stronger and sometimes bigger. That is why adequate rest and recovery time is essential for your body. Most folks are DEFINITELY under-training, but if you think you may be over training … these clues will let you know that you have gone too far with your workouts.
- You get sick more often than not. Too much training can actually weaken your immune system. If you constantly have a head cold, the sniffles, a sore throat, etc. and you KNOW you work out like a fiend, you may need to take some time off.
- Your resting heart rate has increased. If you take your pulse and notice that it is a bit high in a resting position, that should be a red flag.
- You can’t sleep at night. If your body is working extra hard to try to repair itself, it may be hard to relax and fall asleep.
- You are always sore. Feeling sore the next day after a workout isn’t a bad thing. However, if you are super sore for multiple days in a row, something may not be right.
- You can’t do what you did in the gym last week. This one is probably the best way to determine if you have over worked your muscles. Lets say you could do 10 bicep curls with 25 lb dumbbells last week. This week, however, you are struggling to do those same bicep curls with a lower amount of weight. If your muscles are fully recovered, you should be able to do the same amount of weight or higher – you should not be struggling to do less.
- You are fatigued. Simply put, you feel like crap. If you are physically and mentally exhausted, have no motivation, or can’t seem to “wake up”, this is your body telling you it needs to rest.
- You can’t remember your last rest day. That one is a no-brainer. You should take at least one day off of heavy training during the week to recover.
If you are experiencing any or all of these symptoms, give your body some rest. You can determine how much rest you truly need, but paying attention to what your body tells you. It may be a few days, or it may be a week – listen to your body. If you’re taking a break from heavy-duty training, it doesn’t mean you have to sit on the couch and rot. Just find something else to do! Dance, swim, walk, jog, do Pilates or stretch. Make sure you are also fueling yourself properly with clean, healthy foods during this rest period. Your muscles not only need the rest time to repair, but they need the proper nutrition.
Have you ever experienced over training?
How many rest days do you take per week?
