5 Signs You’re Training Too Hard

In this ‘sit down’ world, I know only too well the determination and routine that must be found to keep physically active and attain relative fitness. In recent years, I have enjoyed yoga which opened up joints thus resulting in more flexibility and less pain.

 

I also currently play ‘walking football’ in my local community and walk regularly with Arthur (our rescue Lurcher) and just last week clocked up 38 miles during our walks.

 

All this physical activity obviously has benefits to overall wellbeing but what happens when we get carried away?  Our guest, Stella Evans, here shares some of the signs we can watch for when we lose some balance…


Those who are into fitness, and being physically active, are an inspiration to others who want to start their own fitness routine. It takes self-discipline and hard work to achieve a comfortable routine of training regularly. After a time, a high percentage of people reduce their routines but for others who continue with their regular training, the strenuous physical activities and workouts become a breeze.

Training buff’s, who enjoy a regular physical workout, set the bar for those who would like to follow the same path.

 

Running, swimming and hiking are just a few examples of how we can maintain agility while having fun!

 

However, being active and participating in strenuous physical activities can be addicting so we need to be mindful of the amount of exercise we engage in as we may be training too hard.

1. Performance begins to decline

Working out is an effective way to fuel our body’s craving to work out more. When we notice that our muscles are sore from exercise, or we feel ‘that burn’, our vigour can increase, and we feel more energetic. This is due to our body and mind syncing and we therefore feel more inclined to work out as we start to feel positive changes in our body. However, we may not notice a gradual decline of performance in terms of endurance and agility and this is because, despite being psyched up, our body can get beaten up with too much physical activity and not enough rest.

2. Extended muscle soreness

As mentioned above, muscle soreness after a workout can motivate us to keep up with our physical routine. Initially, having sore muscles is our body’s way of telling us that our efforts are paying off – we are working towards the body we desire. However, training too hard will mean extended muscle soreness and although this may seem like a good thing, it can have a detrimental effect when we are trying to focus on work or other daily tasks.

3. Insatiable thirst

If we experience an insatiable thirst, always being thirsty and unable to quench it no matter how much or how regularly we take in fluids, we may be training too hard. This is linked to increased training and exercise an is referred to as a “catabolic state”. One of the outcomes can be when the body starts to consume the protein in our muscles to cope with the need for protein after intense regular workouts. Worst case scenario is training too hard can even cause gradual dehydration of the body without us being aware.

4. Increased injury

Doing a workout with the aim to ‘stretch ourselves’ to prepare our muscles and ligaments so they do not injure easily, especially in strenuous physical activities can be a good thing as it can help immensely in developing muscle resistance. However, by working out too much, and training too hard, we can increase the risk of injury or trigger old injuries to return. By allowing ample time for our body to recuperate and be well-rested, we can reduce the risk of injury.

 

An important point to also note, that is linked to the decline in performance when training too hard, is that overworked muscles may weaken and deteriorate which then leads to the increased risk of injury.

 

5. Trouble sleeping

One of the great benefits of the proper amount of training and exercise is when our body is tired enough, so we reach a deep and sound sleep which then positively impacts our physical and mental health – our overall wellbeing! On the other hand, by training too hard we could feel sore even when we are asleep and end up tossing and turning. This can then cause sleep issues and we might not get the right rest and amount of sleep to let the body recuperate. In addition to this, our body may feel so much discomfort which then makes it hard to find a good position for sleeping and falling asleep.

 

“When the going gets tough, the tough get going!” However, there is such thing as too much and when you get to that point, it may be a little difficult to bounce back. Whilst health and fitness should be a priority, you must also become aware as to how to balance them, so your physical, emotional and psychological health is well evened out. – Stella Evans obo Medicare

 

About the author

Bob Brotchie is a counsellor, mindset consultant and creator of "Conscious Living by Design"™. He writes for Anglia Counselling, is featured on various other websites and introduces us to many guest writers all covering topics related to mental health and wellbeing.

Bob provides bespoke counselling services to individuals and couples in the privacy and comfort of a truly welcoming environment at his Anglia Counselling company office, located near Newmarket in Suffolk, England. Bob also provides professional online counselling, for local, national, and international clients. The therapeutic models offered are bespoke to the client’s needs, especially those in receipt of 'childhood emotional neglect' (CEN), whilst integrating a mindful approach to psychotherapy and cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) principles. For clients experiencing trauma and/or phobia, Bob offers EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing).