Overtraining—When Less Is More

Not allowing your body adequate time to rest and recover from exercising will only make it harder to reach your fitness goals. Typically associated with little rest and excessive repetition, overtraining can result in injury or illness.

Here are some strategies that will help to avoid overtraining.

Sleep – Make sure to get plenty of sleep. This ensures that the body has ample time to replenish muscles and restore strength.

Proper nutrition – Food is just as important as sleep. The body will use food as fuel to help the body to recover.

Warm-up – Warming up before a workout alleviates tight muscles that could encourage overcompensation, which can lead to injury.

Varying intensity – Varying the intensity levels of your workout routines continues to challenge muscle groups while allowing others to recover.

Recovery days – Scheduling recovery days allows the body to recover and prepare mentally and physically for the next workout.

Recognizing the symptoms of overtraining could grant you enough time to make the needed adjustments to prevent injury or illness. Typical warning signs of overtraining include the following:

• Insomnia
• Achiness or pain in muscles/joints
• Fatigue
• Elevated morning pulse
• Headaches
• Sudden inability to complete workouts
• Decreased immunity
• Appetite loss
• Decline in performance

Do you have questions regarding overtraining injuries? Our sports medicine experts at Orthopedic Associates of Port Huron can help. Call (810) 985-4900 to schedule a visit or click here to request an appointment online.