Being physically active and in good shape is vital for a healthy lifestyle. Routine exercise and recreational sports are great ways to keep your fitness level up.
However, excessive physical activities can also cause harm to your body. Both recreational and elite athletes can suffer from overtraining, which may even result in injuries.
Overtraining injuries occur when physical demands from exercises or sports exceed the body's physical capacity without allowing your body to recover. This results in injury and damage to the body's muscles, ligaments and bones.
Overtraining may stop your exercise progress and may limit your overall sports performance. This may happen to anyone who increases the amount of intensity of their exercises or training.
If you are physically active and experiencing the following signs and symptoms, you may suffer from overtraining syndrome.
Increased resting heart rate
Increased blood pressure
Decrease appetite
Sleep disturbance
Easy fatiguability
Pain and abnormal muscle soreness
Low self-esteem
Irritability
Decreased strength
Decreased endurance
Improving physical fitness requires pushing yourself to exceed your limit and see great results. However, pushing yourself too much without proper recovery can cause injuries and stop your progress.
Here are some tips and strategies to prevent overtraining injuries
A gradual increase in exercise intensity gives your body sufficient time to adjust to physical demands. A steady and incremental increase in your activity level and exercise intensity will help you stay healthy and pain-free.
Sports and exercise are great ways to keep in shape. However, you have to find the balance between rest and staying active. Your body will show signs that you need rest and must listen to it.
If you feel you are putting too much stress on your body, take a break or lessen your activity. Pain and discomfort are usually a way for your body to tell when something is wrong, and you need to pay attention to it.
Fitness is a lifestyle. Don't rush your body and expect to develop significant results in just a few weeks. Instead, aim for a long-term approach of consistency and hard work. Remember that there's no shortcut in your fitness journey, so you might as well take your time and enjoy the process.
Overtraining syndrome happens when a physically active individual increases activity or exercise intensity faster than the body's ability to adapt. This can also occur when the recovery rate cannot sustain the rate of physical demand happening in the body.
Here are some tips to avoid overtraining syndrome:
Be sure to include a rest day in your schedule. Plan your workout, training or exercises accordingly and enjoy your rest day. Rest is essential to your training to keep your body and mind healthy.
Sleep is the most crucial component of rest. During sleep, your body builds and repairs damage to your tissues and helps them keep strong and healthy. Your body also boosts its immune response when you get meaningful sleep.
A balanced diet and proper nutrition are the keys to lasting changes in your body. Avoid restricting your calories too much and ensure you get all the right nutrients you need in your diet.
Physiotherapists are exercise and movement experts. They can guide you through your fitness journey to ensure progressive results and prevent overtraining and other injuries. During your visit, a physio can:
