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experiencelifemag.com
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Just-Right Training
Are you working hard and building your body? Or are you working too hard and destroying it? Sometimes it can be tricky to tell. Sports psychologists compare the urge to overtrain with disorders like obsessive compulsion or anorexia. Even in milder forms, working too hard can increase fatigue and reduce performance. If that sounds like you, read on.
Fatigue
When you’re truly overtraining, you wear out your body, and you’ll know it. “You’ll find your routine tedious and challenging,” says personal trainer Jonathan Ross. You might fail to lift the same weight you lifted last week. Overtraining also causes the heart to work harder, so if your resting heart rate is 10 beats above your normal rate, it’s time to cut the intensity of your routines and go for slower workouts until your body has recovered.
Fear
Be honest about what’s motivating you to exercise. There’s nothing intrinsically wrong with trying to drop a dress size or to look buff, but beware of fear as a motivator. If you overtrain to take off weight, you can get trapped in a cycle of hardcore, weight-motivated training. “If at one time you were overweight, and you learned that you can change that through exercise, there’s an intense fear that if you stop, you’ll go back to the way you were,” says clinical sports psychologist Charlie Brown, PhD.
Lack of Fun
Sure, everyone has an off day. But overall, are you having fun with your fitness program? If week after week feels like drudgery, you’re not working effectively. If you have to drag yourself through your regimen, it’s time to find a new activity — one that is fun.
Disruption
Your exercise program is out of balance if it gets in the way of your relationships or work commitments. If you’re finding that fitness always comes first, you might need to readjust your program to find more balance.
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Just-Right Training
Are you working hard and building your body? Or are you working too hard and destroying it? Sometimes it can be tricky to tell. Sports psychologists compare the urge to overtrain with disorders like obsessive compulsion or anorexia. Even in milder forms, working too hard can increase fatigue and reduce performance. If that sounds like you, read on.
Fatigue
When you’re truly overtraining, you wear out your body, and you’ll know it. “You’ll find your routine tedious and challenging,” says personal trainer Jonathan Ross. You might fail to lift the same weight you lifted last week. Overtraining also causes the heart to work harder, so if your resting heart rate is 10 beats above your normal rate, it’s time to cut the intensity of your routines and go for slower workouts until your body has recovered.
Fear
Be honest about what’s motivating you to exercise. There’s nothing intrinsically wrong with trying to drop a dress size or to look buff, but beware of fear as a motivator. If you overtrain to take off weight, you can get trapped in a cycle of hardcore, weight-motivated training. “If at one time you were overweight, and you learned that you can change that through exercise, there’s an intense fear that if you stop, you’ll go back to the way you were,” says clinical sports psychologist Charlie Brown, PhD.
Lack of Fun
Sure, everyone has an off day. But overall, are you having fun with your fitness program? If week after week feels like drudgery, you’re not working effectively. If you have to drag yourself through your regimen, it’s time to find a new activity — one that is fun.
Disruption
Your exercise program is out of balance if it gets in the way of your relationships or work commitments. If you’re finding that fitness always comes first, you might need to readjust your program to find more balance.
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