Exercise is a great way to stay healthy and happy, but over-training can lead to some long-term side effects.
Laura Kingston is a fitness instructor. While her job is to encourage physical activity, she says there can be too much of a good thing.
“It’s normal when you’re trying something new to feel a little bit sore, but if you’re feeling muscle soreness after 72 hours and you’ve tried some rest, some recovery, and you’re still feeling the effects of your workout a few days later, probably a sign that you over did it,” says Kingston.
Kingston says, if you’re new to a workout regime, take it slow.
Upping your workout from 30 minutes to 90 minutes, can drastically change how you feel when it’s time to recover.
“So, a little extra rest is required, sometime maybe even an Epson salt bath, stretching, or you may want to see a registered massage therapist,” says Kingston.
If you push your limits too far, too often, you can put yourself at risk for long-term side effects.
“We start to see a lot of soft tissue breakdown, ligaments, tendons and just little things that start to come out over time. Whether it’s knee pain and that can lead to full blown muscle imbalances and eventually ripping and tearing,” says exercise physiologist Jeff Zahavich.
Kingston says along with injury, a lack of motivation can follow if you continue to over-train.
“If you’re continually training, putting in lots of time and effort and you stop seeing progress, because that will happen when you over-train, you won’t hit your goals, your body will actually stop you from getting there, trying to give you the signals to give yourself some rest,” says Kingston.
Zahavich says achieving positive results during workouts is like an equation, every factor in life should be balanced.
“The biggest thing is listen to your body,” says Zahavich. “You can do as little exercise, but if you live in a stressful environment, so work, family, finances, all sorts of stuff, it all adds up into stress.”
Both Kingston and Zahavich suggest talking to a professional to ensure you’re following the ideal workout for your body.
“Really just be looking at yourself and your own warning signs, particularly when it comes to how you’re feeling after your workouts,” says Kingston.
Both fitness experts also say that insomnia can be a symptom of over-training, which can become a long-term condition.
Typically, after a good workout, a person will sleep well, however, with too much training, the nervous system can be overworked and the person will not be able to rest at night.
