How do I know if I'm overtraining and what should I do about it?

If you like to sweat or have already trained for a big race or competition, you should probably think about overtraining and how to avoid it.

Overtraining is essentially a decrease in physical performance or physical health because you work too much and you do not recover enough. "The workout stressful the body and degrades the muscles. It is in the recovery phase that we become stronger and in better shape as our body repairs and rebuilds our muscles, "said Rachel Cosgrove, CSCS and co-owner of Results Fitness in Newhall, California. "So if you break down your body and it starts to rebuild, but you train hard again right away, you will never get to the point where you will recover completely and gain strength."

Well, but it is not always easy to prioritize recovery, especially when one is conditioned to think that the more one does, the more when it comes to exercise. And it can be difficult to see that you are overtraining until something serious, such as a chronic injury, occurs. So, what should you look for? Here you must know the seven signs of overtraining.

Symptoms of overtraining

1. You have reached a plateau or are weakening"It seems to you that you have put a lot of work, but that you have stopped seeing (or have never begun to see) any results – you can not lift more or heavier and your stamina and endurance are not enough. improving, for example, this could be a sign of overtraining, says Cosgrove.
2. Your mood is everywhere– Do you feel super stressed, overwhelmed, depressed, sad, depressed or anxious? This could be a symptom of overtraining. As your body is breaking down, your hormonal balance and mental health can also start to take a toll, notes Cosgrove.
3. Your sleep is tasteless"Hormonal changes, coupled with extreme pain, can make it difficult to get the seven hours and more zzz you need to properly recover from exercise," Cosgrove says. Fatigue is another common side effect. This low energy comes from high levels of cortisol (the stress hormone).
4. You catch all colds"Overworking often compromises your immune system, which increases the risk of getting sick every time you have a virus," says Cosgrove. Getting trained to treat these diseases can make matters worse. Repeat after me: days of rest.
5. You are much more painful than usual or an old wound is coming on"Exercises cause inflammation, and if there is no recovery time to shorten, pain, sore throat, and injury are much more likely," says Cosgrove.
6. You lose your rules"Extreme weight loss and hormonal changes can interrupt your menstrual cycle," says Cosgrove, "which is a sure sign that you're overworked and need to relax.
7. You lose muscle mbad-Check with your gym if you can monitor your body composition to see if you are losing fat or muscle mbad. If it's muscle mbad, you're probably overtraining and not giving yourself enough fuel to recover after workouts, says Cosgrove.

So what can I do to prevent overtraining?

There are many ways to protect yourself against excesses at the gym. "It all starts with a training program that works on recovery days," says Cosgrove. "Everyone should have a day off, except maybe a light ride."

"It's important to remember that we are deriving the results of our recovery."

If your schedule requires you to train hard back to back, Cosgrove says that ideally you should never have more than two days of intensive training as a result. And every four to six weeks of training should be followed by an "unloading phase" during which you lift half of what you normally do or slow down and greatly reduce your typical mileage. These unloading phases serve as weeks of active recovery in your general training, she explains.

Apart from the structure of your training, it is essential to make the most of your recovery time between two difficult training sessions. It means stretching, rolling with foam, icing, eating high-protein meals to rebuild muscle tissue, and even meditating to reduce stress, says Cosgrove.

Try this active recovery routine to give your muscles a little relaxation:

"If you are a person who does not sleep much or who already has a lot of stress in your life, you need to focus more on recovery after workout," she says. "Anything that lowers your cortisol levels will benefit you and your body." So yes, looking out and watching Netflix can totally be a useful part of your workout.

If you recognize that you are overtraining, take a few days off to train and focus on quality sleep and the comfort of your body, says Cosgrove. After that, re-examine your fitness routine and plan to add more recovery time or more frequent unloading phases. "If you go back to what you did before, you'll get the same result."

Above all, know that it is acceptable not to waste time working if it has negative effects on your health. "It's important to remember that we are getting results from our recovery," says Cosgrove. "The more you recover, the more you can push hard during your difficult workouts. It's all about quality and quantity. "