- Overtraining - what is it?
- Overtraining - what are the symptoms of it?
- Overtraining - how to avoid it?
- Overtraining - how to get back in shape?
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It's not difficult to overtrain. Especially if we don't measure our forces against intentions. Overtraining manifests itself, inter alia, in shortness of breath, lack of appetite and decreased libido. Since recovering from a weakened form isn't easy, the best way to combat overtraining is to simply prevent it from happening.
The easiest way isovertrainingcan be defined as chronic fatigue. It is a kind of rebellion of the body against the load imposed on it by too intensive training. Overtraining occurs when your training plan is not adapted to your skills and condition. When the exercises we undergo use the body too much, and the training schedule does not give a chance for regeneration.
Overtraining - what is it?
Overtraining can happen to anyone - professionals and amateurs. Setting too ambitious goals for yourself, raising the "bar" too quickly, setting yourself up for spectacular records or balancing on the verge of injury - these are common sins even of professional athletes.
In the case of amateurs, overtraining is usually caused by the lack of knowledge in this matter and the inability to adapt training to one's own predispositions.
Frequent causes of overtraining are: excessively straining training plans, inadequate diet, lack of time for regeneration and rest. Factors that may increase the risk of overtraining include, among others. stress and strong emotions.
Overtraining should not be confused with exhaustion. The latter is a temporary state, a short-term decline in form that must be waited out. It is characterized by physical symptoms, and in the event of overtraining, in addition to physical symptoms, the athlete also experiences a decline in mental form. Overtraining does not happen overnight and it is a very complex process.
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Overtraining - what are the symptoms of it?
Overtraining is a complex of psychological and physical symptoms. However, before we recognize overtraining, we should exclude other ailments that could be responsible for the lack of form, e.g. allergies, infections, mineral deficiencies in the body.
Symptoms of overtraining - physical:
- exhaustion,
- worse condition and efficiency,
- tremblinglimbs,
- weakened results,
- sweating,
- problem with motor coordination,
- elevated temperature,
- elevated heart rate,
- quick breath,
- shortness of breath,
- dizziness and headaches,
- insomnia,
- lack of appetite,
- weakened immunity,
- pains in the heart area,
- muscle and joint pain,
- dehydration symptoms,
- weight loss.
Symptoms of overtraining - mental:
- no libido,
- low self-esteem,
- problems with concentration,
- apathy,
- discouragement and lack of motivation,
- irritation,
- dementia,
- more or less excitable,
- Feeling unwell.
Overtraining - how to avoid it?
It is easier to prevent than to cure. This golden thought works exceptionally well for overtraining. A mature athlete or a conscious sports enthusiast is one who knows what to do in order not to strain his body. He also knows when to stop or reduce the intensity of training.
By listening to our body and caring for it - we can put aside the specter of overtraining. The basis is to develop a reasonable training plan, exercise under the supervision of a specialist, release intense training at times of decline in mental form, conduct a balanced diet, establish constant rest breaks and a specific amount of sleep.
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When you feel the first symptoms of a decline in form during training, you should react accordingly - improve the technique of exercises, reduce their intensity, extend the time for rest, verify your goals in terms of possibilities.
If we train 3-4 times a week, it is worth taking a few weeks' break from physical activity - it is the so-called detraining. During this period, we either give up exercise completely or switch to less intense forms of exercise, e.g. yoga, light spinning, cross trainer, stepper.
Overtraining - how to get back in shape?
Recovering from overtraining requires a lot of work and depends on the athlete's condition (mental and physical). Sometimes the most drastic steps are needed, in the form of interrupting the training in time, until the body regenerates and the psyche is stabilized again. In milder cases of overtraining, it is enough to limit the training or divide the training plan into parts so that not all muscles work at the same time. Regeneration is facilitated by changing the diet and massages.
However, you have to remember thatovertraining may result in an injury that may exclude us from practicing sports once and for all. Then it may be simply impossible to get back into shape.