Did you know that working out too often can have serious implications on your health? If you have been pumping a lot of iron the past few weeks and have not given your body any kind of rest, then perhaps it is time to take things easy. While regularly going to the gyms like LA Fitness and Lifetime Fitness can make your weight-loss goals achievable in not time, overtraining can also be harmful to your body. The following are some of the ill effects of overtraining:
Fatigue
The first sign that will tell you that you are overtraining is muscle and body fatigue. You’ll notice that you are having a difficult time performing exercises the way you used to do them. You may have difficulties in lifting weights, or your legs are too tired to run on the treadmill. Sometimes, you can’t even continue your workout. These are tell-tale signs that your body is suffering from overtraining fatigue.
Dehydration
Keep in mind that you lose fluids as you sweat when you are training. Overtraining makes you lose more fluids, and the body’s inability to replenish these lost fluids can lead to dehydration. When you are dehydrated, you’ll feel weak. You could faint or even experience muscle cramps.
Sleeping Difficulties and Mood Problems
Overtraining will make you an insomniac. It is during sleep that our bodies rest and repair itself especially after spending an hour or so in the gym. But when you are overtraining, your body is unable to slow down and relax, making it difficult for you to sleep soundly at night.
There is also a connection between overtraining and mood problems. You might be aware that regular exercise can cure mild depression and improve our moods. However, too much exercise can also cause anxiety and depression. The reason could be because of the damage of overtraining on our hormones, causing mood swings and difficulty in concentrating.
Makes You Eat More
You train because you want to achieve a leaner, slimmer you. But overtraining can cause you to eat more, wreaking havoc on your weight-loss goals. You actually don’t need to be a genius to understand that the more you train, the more food that your body needs to support your efforts.
Injuries
Most injuries are caused by overtraining, as the latter puts a lot of stress on our joints, muscles and tendons. A lot of stress on these body parts result to strained muscles, shin splints and ruptured tendons. To prevent injuries, listen to your body. When you feel pain in any part of your body, stop working out. You may also rest for a day or two before resuming your workouts.
Lack of Menstrual Cycle
Women who exercise too much may find themselves having amenorrhea, or lack of menstrual cycle. Too much exercise results to an imbalance in our energy levels that could cause distress on other body systems like the reproductive system. This explains why some women who are overtraining will have a change in their menstrual cycles.