When we are feeling extra motivated and eager to see results, we may push ourselves too far with our training.
We tend to think that if some exercise is good, a tonne of exercise must be even better. The reality is that muscles need to rest and recover. So, when you have to give yourself a little pep talk to get to the gym, perharps it’s time to relax
1. You are injured
If you are sore the day after a tough workout, exercise can actually help you recover by increasing circulation, which speeds healing. Injury is an entirely different story, though. Not only do you risk further injury, but you could also injure other muscles or joints as your body tries to compensate. Let it heal, and if it hurts after more than a few days of rest then see a doctor.
In some cases, you can work out, focusing on another area of your body, but you still risk tweaking something, making your injury worse. The best rule of thumb is to focus on mind-body training such as yoga or meditation and wait to heal completely.
2. You are always sore
Athletes and gym lovers tend to block out signs of fatigue thinking it will make them better, faster, stronger, tougher. And while a bit of muscle soreness is totally normal at the start of a new exercise routine, you shouldn’t be feeling constantly sore. Just how many rest days we need each week is not a one-size-fits-all model. One study found that it took 72 hours of rest — or three days — between strength training sessions for full muscle recovery, while research from the ACE Scientific Advisory Panel says that a recovery period could be anywhere from two days up to a week depending on the type of exercise. This number will vary based on certain factors such as your fitness level, age and type of exercise and intensity of your workouts. So if you are still sore past the 72-hour mark, be sure to rest; this type of extended soreness is a sign your muscles aren’t recovering. Soreness is your body’s way of telling you to that it needs more energy to repair and recover.
3. You have a new, consistent pain
If you have recently noticed an acute sharp pain anywhere in your body when working out, don’t keep training; instead, head to the doctor to get it checked out. While it may feel like you can push through the pain, you could cause an otherwise avoidable injury or strain, which will keep you from training for much longer.
4. You are not getting any stronger
Has your body stopped changing in spite of your best efforts? If so, you may be overtraining. If you have hit a plateau and haven’t made improvements in your fitness-endurance, strength, flexibility, among others, your body needs rest. When you are overtraining, your body goes in the opposite direction of growth, because your muscles are torn and all you are doing is re-tearing them again, which doesn’t give them proper time to heal and get stronger.
5. You feel sick or have a fever
Regular exercise can help boost your immune system, but too much of it can compromise your health and lead to illness. The process of overtraining means your body is in a “continual catabolic state,” which lowers immunity and increases chances of coming down with a cold. Also, if you are running a fever, stay home. Fever means your body is fending off an illness, and putting your body under stress from a workout will only make it harder to kick. Not to mention, with a fever, your core body temperature is already high and working out will increase it.
6. You are really stressed
While exercise can be a stress-reliever — it isn’t always. Stress has the annoying ability to distract your mind and overwhelm your body, not to mention making you a lot less likely to stick to your training regime. Apart from skewing your motivation, you‘ll have a hard time reaching your fitness goals when your mind is elsewhere. Research suggests that exercising when you’re experiencing stress can increase your risk of injury. This is because if you are overly stressed, it’s likely you will not focus properly on your workout or technique, and your wavering attention could be the cause of an injury.
7. You have trouble sleeping
You would think that working harder than usual would make you more tired, hence have a good sleep. On the contrary, insomnia is a common symptom of overtraining. As your body tries to adapt to working harder, a bit of your primal instinct kicks in and your body feels like it needs to be ready to work it’s hardest at any time of the day. This may result in insomnia or difficulties sleeping.
8. Changes to menstrual cycle
Ladies, if you miss your monthly period, it might be a welcome reprieve, but anything that alters your body’s natural rhythms (stress or tough workouts) is probably something you need to take another look at.
9. You are irritable most of the time
Working harder, especially in strength training and metabolic conditioning, can cause an alteration in hormones. More natural testosterone released into the bloodstream can cause us to be aggressive and irritable. If this is the case, your family and friends will probably also appreciate your rest day.
10. You are always thirsty
Do you keep drinking water, but never feel satisfied or hydrated? This can be related to insufficient fluid intake or even hot weather, but it can also be because you are training very hard and need to give your body time to rest, restore, and rehydrate.
