Over Exercise: Signs Your Body Is Ready To Throw In The Towel

Exercising regularly is one of the best things you can do to be physically and mentally healthy. But there is such a thing as too much exercise.

Over exercising can actually weaken your body and may even lead to increased body fat. These unexpected results are your body’s way of warning you that it is being overworked.

If you are exercising too much, your body will let you know. Listed below are some of the signs that your body needs a break.

• Decreased performance: One of the first signs your body gives you that it is being overworked is a drop in performance. This change is more noticeable in activities like running, cycling, and swimming.
• Decreased motivation: If you no longer enjoy exercising and lose motivation to workout, your body may be burnt out. Weight lifting and sprinting are activities for which this reaction is common.
• Fatigue: Physical and mental tiredness is a telltale sign that your body needs to rest. Some people who experience this reaction to over exercising may work out in an attempt to increase energy, which may work short-term, but they will be exhausted later on.
• Insomnia: Over exercising often results in restlessness, which can make it difficult to fall asleep. Disrupted sleep is another possibility.
• Change in appetite: Your body may slow down processes like metabolism in an attempt to reduce its workload, resulting in a decrease in appetite.
• Change in mood: When your body is physically overstressed, confusion, irritability, anger, anxiety, and depression are common mood changes.
• Persistent muscle soreness: If your muscles stay sore for hours or days after you exercise, your body needs more rest.
• Increased resting heart rate: Putting a lot of stress on your heart makes it work harder and can lead to an increased resting heart rate, the rate at which your heart beats when you’re inactive.

While your body can handle demanding workouts, it needs time to recover afterward. Corey Stenstrup, performance development trainer at IMG Academies, recommends resting for one or two days after an intense workout, and when you exercise again, keep it light. Ensuring that you get enough sleep and that you eat nutritious foods can help your body recover from the damage done during strenuous workouts.

Source: U.S. News Health