Do you know what overtraining is? As the name suggests, it is the time when you have too much exercise – far too much than your body needs. It is easy to get stuck or trapped in the overtraining situation, especially if you are truly ambitious about your physical fitness and health.
You probably think that you should have a continuous physical schedule so you can stay busy and pumped out. But do you know that you need to have a rest day in between? Sometimes it is okay to rest for days (or even weeks, depending on your situation). There are some good reasons why you should start having your rest days for the busy schedule.
The Main Reasons
I’m not trying to say that you should quit exercising; just saying that you need a break once in a while. Here are some good reasons why you should do it:
- Your muscles grow and get enough rest when you are also resting. When you exercise, your body needs time to recover. When you lift the weight, it will tear the muscles – and such tear can be repaired only when you are resting. If you think that lifting weight continuously is the one that makes your body looks bigger and buff, you are completely wrong – it is the proper repair process that makes your muscles grow and strong. Keep in mind that while it is okay to push yourself hard in the process, you should also consider a proper recovery time. For how long, you may ask? Well, usually until you don’t feel any pain or sore anymore.
- You may suffer from the weight-loss plateau. If you are trying to lose weight and you think overtraining can help, then you are mistakenly informed. Everything has its own proportion. Too intense, too hard, and too often won’t get you anywhere. Sure, you may experience a weight loss at first but then the body becomes tired and bored and it starts building up a resistance. When it does, you have reached the weight-loss plateau. You won’t experience any weight loss. In fact, you can gain weight when you have reached this stage. That’s why proper training and proper exercise is advised. Too much isn’t good for you either.
- You may have trouble sleeping. Overtraining will lead to overtiredness and fatigue. When you are too tired, your body can’t really rest properly. If you can’t really sleep well, it means that there is something wrong with you and you are probably too tired.
- For women, it is responsible for amenorrhea or it affects their menstrual cycle. When you train too much or too hard, it affects your system which includes your hormone. It is possible that your estrogen hormone is dropping too low, creating amenorrhea, a condition where your menstruation is absent. If this is happening for more than 3 months (and you aren’t pregnant or whatsoever), check your condition.
- It messes with your mood. Exercise should make you happy; it should be your mood booster. However, when you overtrain, it will create tiredness and fatigue – and it is definitely will affect your mood.