Many people still believe the “No Pain, No Gain” saying which implies that you can never work too hard. However, this myth disregards the importance of recovery. In order for our bodies to receive the benefits of exercise, we must allow our bodies time to recover. During exercise we break down our muscles and then during recovery our bodies rebuild stronger in order to meet the new demands.
Overtraining is the imbalance of training and recovery. Some of the signs and symptoms are as follows:
- Chronic fatigue
- Lowered self-esteem
- Feelings of depression
- Difficulty concentrating
- Decreased performance
- Increased heart rate at set workload
- Increased rates of infection
- Loss of appetite
To prevent overtraining, follow a well-balanced, progressive training schedule. Then be sure to listen to your body; if you feel like taking a day off or taking it easy, do it!
