We all know that exercise has wonderful benefits , like burning calories, increasing energy levels, and boosting your mood. But just like anything else in life, moderation is key. Too much exercise or at too intense of a level, can leave you drained, and worse, at risk of injury.
Overtraining occurs when a person partakes in too much physical training with too little rest and recovery after hard workouts. The resulting stress placed on the muscles, joints and bones causes fatigue and soreness that ultimately affects performance. While over-training syndrome most often applies to serious athletes, that doesn't mean that recreational athletes or weekend warriors are free from the effects of pushing the body too hard. Here are a few physical symptoms and lifestyle patterns to be aware of that may be signs you're going too hard in the gym.
Being sore after a workout can be a good feeling you put those muscles to work! As a fitness coach, I often see clients trying to do too much too fast. Research has shown that increasing the intensity of a workout in small increments is better for your body overall. For weights, try going up 2. Gradually increasing intensity in one area before focusing on another will help you get stronger and faster, without putting your body through too much, too soon. If a muscle group or joint on one side of your body is sore after a workout, but not the other, it may be a sign that you overworked a body part and may need additional healing and recovery time.
If you have single-sided pain, you're also healing and recovering, he adds, but you should allow extra time to heal and it may be worthwhile to seek additional help to hasten this process.
Did you not run 26 miles with that side as well? This is where those extra non-workout activities do matter. They may not be true workouts, but they do have benefits. More movement is good—and that is how you achieve the benefits of an active lifestyle. The truth is, most of these numbers are seriously inflated, and the average person won't burn a fraction of that claim.
This is the case for treadmills, stationary bikes and other cardio machines, too. Those "calorie burn" screens can be off by 30 percent or more—they're nothing more than estimates. When it comes to weight loss, you 're better off with a conservative approach to calorie burn. Assume you're actually burning fewer calories than a tracker or machine says you are. A better way to gauge what you're really burning is by wearing your own heart rate monitor.
That's a big difference that could really affect one's weight loss. A walk around the block doesn't earn you a brownie. How often do you "reward" yourself for working out by undoing most of your efforts with one or more dietary splurges?
Remember, exercise really doesn't burn as many calories as people assume it does, so a single workout—even a rigorous one—won't come close to offsetting just one big splurge. Yet I know many people who justify their food choices by saying "I worked out today.
This is probably one of the biggest misconceptions I see. Most people believe that simply by exercising more, harder, or with some " magical " combination think "muscle confusion" , they'll get rock-hard abs , chiseled arms, and toned legs. Exercise will not change your body much at all unless you are also cutting calories.
To really change your physique, you have to do both: watch your diet, consume fewer calories than you burn, and exercise with a combination of cardio and strength training. Same goes for dieting. Cutting calories will result in some weight loss, but your body will not necessarily look more cut or toned if exercise isn't also part of your plan. A lot of people don't like to exercise, but they manage to stick with it in order to lose weight.
Once they reach that goal, it becomes easier to slack off and then lose the habit entirely. But whether your goal is to lose weight, look better, improve your health, or just plain feel good, you're only going to reach—and maintain—that result by continuing to exercise after you reach that goal.
The benefits of exercise are quickly lost, too. That's normal since your body isn't used to spending so much energy every day. After a while, though, working out has been shown to have the opposite effect. This can all add up to a little more pep in your step once your body starts building these up.
Research backs this up. One study , published in PLOS One, involved nearly college students who reported feeling fatigued and burned out. Half of the participants were instructed to run three times a week for six weeks; the other group was told not to change their workout habits. At the end of the study, the running group reported less overall fatigue than the control group.
A review of 16 studies involving more than people also concluded that, on average, one exercise session significantly improves energy levels following the workout. Longer or more intense exercise might not have the same energy-boosting effects, the authors caution, although more research is needed. For most people, consistently scoring a better night's sleep is a very welcome side effect of working out. A large study of 3, adults from the National Sleep Foundation found that participants ages 18 to 85 who did moderate- to vigorous-intensity exercise for at least minutes a week had a 65 percent less chance of feeling overly sleepy during the day which is a measurement of sleep quality , based on self-reported objective information from participants.
This is good news for your fitness progress, too. Not getting enough sleep can really mess with your endocrine system, including hormones like testosterone and growth hormone , which are involved in muscle repair.
Growth hormone in particular is released at its highest levels while you're sleeping, so it's important not to skimp on sleep most people need seven to nine hours of zzz's. And there's one catch: Many experts recommend trying not to work out within a few hours of your bedtime, which can actually disrupt your sleep. In that case, stick to workouts earlier in the evening or during the day. If you're suddenly ravenous after starting a new workout routine, it's not all in your head—since you're burning more calories than your body's used to, it might be looking to refuel.
If you do find yourself hungrier than usual, no need to ignore it—just make sure you're mostly filling up on healthy options. A post-workout snack with a balance of protein and healthy carbs can also help keep hunger levels in check throughout the day here's a guide on what to eat after a cardio workout.
The mood-boosting benefits of working out can feel just as rewarding as the physical benefits. There's nothing like that immediate post-workout high thank you, endorphins , and exercise has also been shown to help manage daily stress for many people, according to the American Psychological Association.
You'll probably realize after a few good workouts that sweating out your frustrations and stressors can feel pretty therapeutic. Plus, exercising outdoors is a great way to get some mood-boosting fresh air, too. Regular exercise can also have a profound impact on mental health disorders, including depression and anxiety , according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. While you should absolutely seek out professional help if you're struggling, studies have shown that regular exercise can also be a important component of managing depression and some other mental health conditions.
Unfortunately, sweating more can leave you more prone to acne and breakouts. Lortscher tells SELF. If you notice a few more pimples or blemishes after starting an exercise program, there are a few ways to troubleshoot. Take off your sweaty workout gear and rinse off after hitting the gym to prevent body acne, says Dr.
Lortscher, and make sure you wash your face after a workout. Use a gentle cleanser that doesn't foam too much to avoid over-drying your skin.
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