Gassed.

Overtraining. When your body says... STOP I've had enough!!!

Yes.. overtraining is definitely a real thing. That 'extra workout" you snuck in, that extra 60 min run after a gruelling weight lifting session... skipping your rest day,

yeah those things add up. You can actually workout "too much" and it is not a good thing... for your body or your mind.

Huh? Let me explain.

Overtraining syndrome is when you don't adequately recover after repetitive intense training or exercise. You may think it is admirable to train hard to get to your goals, logging all the miles, beating all the personal bests, spending hours in the gym and working hard day after day - and it is - to a point. But too much training without adequate recovery can hinder your progress - it actually can lead to a decline in your progress and performance.

*louder for the people in the back*

There's actually a warning phase called "overreaching" - it's what you experience BEFORE you get to overtraining. Overreaching is muscle soreness beyond what's normal, and you don't recover sufficiently between workouts. Usually happens with several consecutive days of hard training and results in feeling run down. This phase is usually reversible with rest.

Overtraining is when overreaching is ignored and training continues. This leads to further breakdown in the body. Full recovery from overtraining is difficult and can require weeks or months of time off from working out. Healthy sleep, nutrition and mental wellness are critical in preventing overtraining, and must be part of every training program.

So what does overtraining look like?

if you're pushing it past your limits, you might notice the following:

- Unusual muscle soreness after a workout, which persists with training

- Irritabilty to train at a previously manageable level

- "Heavy" leg muscles, even at lower intensities

- Delays in recovery from training

- Performance plateaus or declines

- Thoughts of skipping or cutting short your workout

- Prolonged general fatigue

- Increased in tension, depression, anger or confusion

- Inabiltiy to relax

- Poor quality sleep

- Lack of energy, decreased motivation and moodiness

- Not feeling joy from things you previously enjoyed

-Increase occurances of illness, decreased immune function

- Increased blood pressure and heart rate at rest

- Irregular menstrual cycle - for the ladies

- Loss of appetite

- Constipation, irregular bowel patterns

- Increased likelyhood of obtaining an injury

Whoa! That's quite the list, but the reality of missing your rest days. If you find yourself in this situation you need to REST, REST and did I say REST? Look at your nutrition. Have you been skipping food groups, or certain macros (carbs is the common one)? Proper nutrients are required for training. If you're struggling with it, get a nutritionist. Last, look after your mental health. Engage in activities that will enhance self care, like meditation, mindfulness and other relaxation techniques. After a period of time - return to training GRADUALLY.

Don't get to the point of overtraining period. Listen to your body. Modifying or making adjustments to your workouts is not a failure, but actually smart. If you're having "one of those days" where you're not feeling yourself or simply feeling tired, and aren't choosing to completely rest - consider these three adjustments.

1. Avoid exercises that are complex and tax your central nervous system, like compound exercises, squats, deadlifts

2. It's ok to not "challenge yourself" this workout - reduce your weights/resistance, increase your rest times between sets

3. Cut your session short. Honestly, a good 30 mins of movement is all you need. You still progressed further than the person still sitting on the couch.

Workouts are meant to help you progress towards your goal, they are NOT the goal itself. So when you're not feeling your 100% best, don't feel pressured to be that when you're really not.

xoxo

Amanda