Overtraining

We all know that exercising is healthy and has many benefits. But when you sometimes exercise a little too much and intensively, it can lead to overexertion and overtraining. This can eventually have negative and dangerous consequences for your body. In this article, we will tell you what overtraining is, what the symptoms are, how to prevent it and what to do in case of overtraining.

What is overtraining?

What is overtraining? Overtraining, simply put, is overloading the body by training too hard or overtraining. Only this is not about one workout and a one-time overload, but a long-term overload of the body. Overloading means putting more strain on your body than it can handle. Muscle soreness once is not bad, but by training too hard and too heavy for a longer period of time, your body gets overloaded and has no time to recover, which eventually leads to overtraining. When you overtrain, you actually have sports burnout.

Causes of overtraining

Overtraining can be caused by excessive load or reduced load capacity or a combination of these. Overloading occurs when your body has to endure more than it can handle. This can be through too intensive exercise or heavy physical work, for example, where the body does not have enough time to recover and becomes overloaded. In addition, overtraining can also be caused by mental problems such as stress.

Symptoms of overtraining

To prevent overtraining, it is important that you learn to recognize the symptoms so you can address it early. There are several symptoms that can show that you are suffering or starting to suffer from overtraining. When you are overtrained, you may suffer from the following symptoms:

• Days tired after exercise
• Restless feeling after exercise
• Reduced performance
• Joint Pain
• Stiff muscles
• Bad mood or irritability
• Dysregulated resting heart rate
• Concentration problems

Overtraining recovery

Do you have any signs of overtraining? If you notice any symptoms of overtraining, it is important that you take it seriously right away. Most importantly, take proper time and rest to recover from the overtraining in order to avoid further and long-term injuries. Often after overtraining we want to start training again as soon as possible, but that way you will never fully recover and you will have to deal with overtraining again and again. Take enough rest and don't start training heavily again immediately when you think you are doing better. Build your training back up slowly and plan rest periods into your training schedule. It is also important that you eat a healthy and varied diet, drink enough water and get enough sleep. It is also always smart to visit a physical therapist or personal trainer who can help you train safely.

Preventing overtraining

Of course, prevention is better than cure. When we train, we often want to train hard and intensely in order to see results quickly. To prevent overtraining, it is important that you give your muscles enough rest to recover. You can do this by always training a certain muscle group and another one the next day so that the muscle group can rest for a while. In addition, a deload week can be a good addition to your training schedule. During a deload week you give your muscles some rest without doing anything at all. But optimal nutrition also plays a role. Protein, for example, is an important nutrient that helps build muscle. Finally, it is important that you make sure you get enough sleep and give your body a rest.

Working out safely at Beyondfit

Do you want to prevent overtraining and train in a safe and effective way? At Beyondfit, all of our trainers have a medical background so they can always train you in a safe way without injury. They will teach you the right posture and techniques for different exercises and make sure you learn a strong base. Curious about the possibilities and how we can best help you? Schedule a free intake with no obligation and we will be happy to help you personally.