With summer right around the corner, it might be time to hit the gym and get rid of those quarantine pounds.
There are so many benefits of exercising outside of simply physical changes, including sleep, mood and stress management. But what happens if you do too much exercising?
Burnouts are normal, especially when you’re new to exercising. They result in feelings of fatigue, mental exhaustion and simply no motivation to work out. They can be avoided by taking active rest days and breaks from your workouts.
On the more extreme end of the spectrum is overexercising.
So how do you know it’s time to rest? When you start experiencing prolonged muscle soreness. When you keep getting sick and continue to exercise through the pain. When you are unusually irritable, have very low energy and trouble sleeping. When your resting heart rate is higher than normal. You feel guilty when you don’t workout and you are constantly thinking about exercising.
Rather than help you achieve your goal faster, overexercising can actually derail you. Resulting in a plateau in your progress, a weakened immune system or worse serious injury.
Everyone’s body is different, so it is imperative that you do not turn a deaf ear to the cries of yours. Prevention is better than a cure and the easiest way to prevent injury is to simply listen to your body.
Rest is important for your muscles, it allows them to rebuild bigger and stronger. Prioritise recovery, that includes taking the time to stretch your sore muscles before and after working out, using a foam and most importantly, sleeping. It’s tempting to want to use every waking moment to achieve your goal, but you need those hours of sleep in order to truly recover.
In some cases, it might be helpful to take a break from exercising altogether, whether it’s days or months. Your mind is just as important as your body and you might need time to form healthy ideals.
In a world that is very vocal about the benefits of exercising, it is important to listen to your body and not push yourself too much. Moderate exercise is the key to a truly healthy lifestyle. That summer body is not worth your life.