Buffalo New York PT Christopher Lee: Some people are so devoted to their fitness goals that they accidentally overtrain and risk injuring their bodies. Overtraining is dangerous because it can lead to overuse injuries which potentially can result in chronic pain from conditions such as tendonitis or stress fractures. In this article, Buffalo, NY Personal Trainer, Christopher Lee tells eight warning signs of overtraining and five ways to manage it.
Slow Recovery
If you are not recovering from your workouts as fast as usual, this could be a sign that your muscle groups are burnt out from overtraining. Are you feeling fatigued and unable to meet any of your targets for workouts? This is a sign of overtraining.
Heart Rate
Tracking your heart rate is a great way to better understand when your body is being overtrained. If there are substantial fluctuations in your heart rate at the time of waking, this could be a bad sign. If your heart rate is lower than usual, then this could signal that your body’s systems are overwhelmed. In order to properly interpret your heart rate readings, it is important to be consistent with your data.
Emotions
When your body is under stress, your mind also feels the effects. If you are feeling snappier, grumpier, or more emotional in general, this could indicate that you are overtraining.
Sex Drive
A less talked about side-effect of overtraining is a reduced libido. When your body is overworked and producing heavy amounts of stress hormones, your sex drive disappears.
Low Energy
Does it feel like your regular exercises are expending more energy than before? A combination of low energy and low motivation can indicate that you have been overtraining and your body needs more time to recover.
Fatigue
The feeling of expending too much energy can follow you home from the gym and make you feel fatigued constantly. If you feel tired and sluggish, this could mean your training regime is not working for you.
Sleep
One side effect of overtraining is problems sleeping. This is cause by having irregular heart rate or body pain. Tracking your sleep schedule can help you pick up on changes that could indicate a problem.
Injuries and Illness
When your body is under stress, the immune system does not function at its full capacity, which could leave you more susceptible to colds and viruses. Overuse injuries such as fractures and tendonitis are also a risk of overtraining.
Fives Ways to Get Back On Track
Now that we have discussed the warning signs of overtraining, here are some tips for how to get your health and fitness back on track.
- Add getting plenty of rest to your schedule.
- Give your body the nutrients it needs to recalibrate.
- Make a plan to prevent overtraining in the future.
- Work with a personal trainer.
- Track your heart rate and sleep patterns.
Overtraining can take you in the opposite direction than where you are trying to go with your fitness goals. To prevent burnout and overuse injuries, make sure to schedule plenty of rest so your body can recuperate in between workouts.
About Christopher Lee Christopher Lee is a certified fitness trainer based in Buffalo, New York. He focuses on educating and supporting his clients in building a healthy, sustainable lifestyle. His training method emphasizes the importance of nutrition and injury prevention in achieving fitness goals.
