10 signs of overtraining, 5 reasons why you need to avoid it and 8 tips along the way!

You want to be strong, you want to be fast, so you train. But have you realised that the most important thing you can do to get fit is to eat and rest? Between workouts, that is. If you exercise too much, you break your body down over time without giving it a chance to recover. How much is too much varies greatly from person to person, so you can't compare yourself to others. Symptoms of overtraining can be acute or insidious. Too much exercise can be very harmful to your health and get you into trouble, so put the brakes on in time!

Here are the most important alarm signals that should make you stop and think:

1. You become weaker

You're not performing as well at the gym even though you've been exercising regularly and making progress. You may realise that you can't lift as heavy weights as usual, or that you're not running as fast.

2. You become irritable or depressed

Mood swings and difficulty concentrating can come as a result of overtraining. Overtraining alters the hormonal balance in the body, just as too little sleep can do. This can turn into a state of feeling sorry for yourself and more vulnerable.  

3. You feel exhausted

When you never get enough rest after exercise, you break your body down. It can make you feel like everything is heavy, your legs feel heavy, and it's hard to pull yourself together and do everyday things.

4. Your workout feels heavier than usual

Even if you don't push yourself any harder, your workout will be heavy and unpleasant. In sports with a lot of adrenaline, you may not notice it even if it happens. You may also feel more or less sore for longer after exercise.

5. It hurts

Persistent pain and aching in muscles and joints is a typical symptom of overtraining and perhaps too much unilateral activity? If you overexert your muscles, they're likely to let you know. The pain can be caused by minor injuries, which can easily worsen if you don't get enough rest.

6. You often get sick

Overtraining puts so much strain on the body that the immune system is weakened. This often makes it easier for you to catch colds or viral infections, especially in the respiratory tract. A mild cold can become more severe if you are overtrained.

7. You do not sleep well

When your body hasn't had enough rest over a period of time, it can go into a state where you find it difficult to calm down and get the sleep you need. This, of course, makes you even more exhausted and depleted.

8. You lose your appetite

Overtraining increases the levels of hormones in the body, which means that you can't handle as much food as you really need. The exhaustion and anxiety that overtraining often brings can in itself dampen your appetite.

9. You have a high pulse rate

The heart is unable to calm down properly when it has been overworked for a long time. If your resting heart rate is higher than normal, you may be in danger. You'll also notice that your heart rate doesn't calm down as quickly after exertion. This can also cause headaches and so-called exertional pain at high intensity.

10. Menstruation behaves strangely

Overtraining, especially in the company of malnutrition, can cause your period to stop being regular, or for you to lose it altogether. Over time, this can make you less fertile and jeopardise your chances of getting pregnant.

The dangers of overtraining:

-The mould will stagnate or recede.

-Mood, psyche and sleep are affected.

-You get less profit.

-The body's temperature regulation is affected. You freeze more easily.

-The metabolism slows down and the body will save energy. This often results in increased fat storage.

Tips:

Don't compare yourself to others. Do you feel useless because your friend works out more often or lifts heavier? We have different starting points. Training at a high level requires years of gradual adaptation and escalation. Compare yourself to yourself! Keeping a training diary makes it both easy and fun to track your progress. You can easily see when you exceed your own times or weights. It's a great way to feel good about yourself. Another important tip is to contact a personal trainer for expert and proper guidance towards your goals!

 How to avoid overtraining:

- Vary your workout, avoiding the same type of load two days in a row.

- Eat enough carbohydrates throughout your recovery period.

- Eat enough and focus on the right protein sources.

- Get enough sleep!

- If you train more than 3 times a week, some sessions should be calm.

- Listen to your body: If you're exercising 5 times a week or more and feeling tired and heavy, it may be time for extra rest.

- Have a rest week every 3-5 weeks, during which you only train very lightly and for pleasure (if you train 5 times a week or more).

- At least one day a week, you should take a day off from all exercise, focusing on a good nutritional intake and getting enough sleep.

Get in touch with our skilled trainers if you are unsure, need guidance and help to optimise your training!