To Much of a Good Thing!

There can be too much of a good thing when it comes to your training, and overtraining is not a subject that I have talked about much.

I know, probably not what you want to hear—especially if you love hitting the gym, getting your sweat on, and are convinced it is the thing that will help you lean out and get stronger. 

But here is the thing, you can overdo it… and it can cause more harm than good when it comes to staying healthy and reaching your goals.

Keep reading for a few things to look out for ↓↓

1. Decreased recovery + increased injury/”twinges” Some soreness is to be expected, but if you’re always so sore it impacts your day-to-day quality of life, or you find that you’re always dealing with an injury (even chronic twinges), you may be overdoing it.
   

2. Decreased performance You don’t build strength while you train… you build strength while you recover. Training breaks your body down, and you need to give it time to build back up—this is where strength-building actually happens. If you’re noticing decreases in strength and performance, you may need more recovery time.
   

3. Sleep disturbances Your exercise intensity and frequency should cause you to be appropriately tired come the end of the day. Being exhausted 24/7 or having trouble getting and staying asleep can be a sign that you’re over-training ( don't forget the sleep masterclass happening March 7th at 7pm here... (2) Lift Yourself LEAN | Facebook)
   

4. Increased stress At appropriate training levels, the “stress” a workout puts on your body is good, adaptive stress. It helps you get stronger and stay healthy. But, if you’re overtraining, good stress can quickly become bad, chronic stress. If you find that you’re constantly snapping at loved ones or things that “wouldn’t normally stress you out” feel like a big deal, take note!
   

5. Consistent sickness Overtraining negatively impacts your immune system, which can make it harder to stay healthy. If you’re always dealing with major (or minor!) colds and catch everything that goes around, it could have to do with training frequency and intensity. 
   

6. Shifts in appetite  Overly hungry or can’t even stand the sight of food? Overtraining can cause either—if you have major shifts in appetite after kicking up training frequency, it could mean you’re in the gym too much!
   

7. Weight gain/lack of weight loss Over-exercising can impact your metabolism, your hormone health, and so much more. These factors, plus all the above, impact your body’s ability to gain or lose weight.
   

One or two of the above factors can happen even if you’re not overexercising if you have a few tough workouts or extenuating life circumstances. But, if lots of these things pop up more often than not, it’s worth looking at your workout routine and asking yourself if there is room to dial it back. 

So how much exercise should you get? 

Everyone really is different—and working with a coach who gets to know your goals and body is definitely the way to go—but I generally recommend exercising (aka, hitting the gym, lifting, going for a run, etc.) 4-5x per week and staying relatively active on your rest days. Go for a walk or get in a stretch or low-key yoga class. 

If you’re already training at that frequency but aren’t seeing the results you want, nutrition is probably the missing piece. Abs really are made in the kitchen. After all, exercise is only about 1-2 hours of your day, but meals and food choices take up the other 22-23!

I would love to have you on the Positive Image Fitness team for your training and/or nutrition. To take that first step, you need to take action and reach out. Reply back to this email, DM be on social media or fill out this no commitment questionnaire and from there I can help guide you to which option is best for your goals.

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PS if you want to level up your nutrition and fitness but are not quite ready to commit to one on one coaching, then here is what I would do...

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