Unless you’re training for some athletic activity that requires otherwise, don’t work your self harder than necessary. If it hurts or is even uncomfortable then stop and do something different. Proper exercise does not require pain.
Here are 10 ways to check if you are working too hard and ways to amend it :
1. Do you feel sore or exhausted at the end of your workout ?
Well, if you do its is an indication that you are pushing the body beyond its capacity. It’s not good for your mind and body. Healthful exercise should give you energy. If you feel too tired to even start, find a creative way to do it just once and then notice if it gives you more energy. Play it like a game.
2. Trying too much, too soon.
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons advises people to increase activity gradually – not to add more than 10% per week. For example, if you usually run two miles a day but want to run five, build up gradually by increasing your mileage 10% a week. The 10% rule also works for increasing the amount of weight you lift in strength-training workouts. For a beginner, start your program by walking at least five times a week for 15 minutes at an easy pace. Add five minutes to your daily walk each succeeding week until you are regularly walking a half hour a day five times a week. Repeat a week anytime you find yourself feeling tired. Once you achieve this basic level of fitness, you can begin thinking in terms of weekly workouts, varying your distance and terrain (hills require more effort). Remember that your goal is to avoid burnout – better to do less and have fun than to push too hard and give up.
3. Include variety, but don’t you try to make big changes all at once.
Implement a small change in your exercise and/or eating habits and give your body a chance to adapt. You will see the benefit. After you’re comfortable with your change and it’s a normal part of your day, then it’s time to make an additional change. These changes build upon themselves.
4. Warm-up and Stretch.
If you follow a complex routine, composed of cardiovascular & strength training routine, without enough warm-up, stretching and relaxation, then there is no doubt you are pushing too hard. Each time you exercise, you break down muscle fibers and put stress on joints and connective tissues. But when you rest, your body repairs itself and, in the process, become stronger. Without proper rest, you never give your body that chance to build itself up. Overtraining is as bad as not being in shape at all. It not only saps your energy, but also increases your susceptibility to injury and illness.
5. Regularity
Regularity in following a training routine. Its important, you enjoy the experience for, It is hard to stick to a regular program that makes you miserable. Get on a schedule, develop a routine, make it a habit. The more you work out, the more you will get to know your body and feel the benefits. Look ahead at where you’d like to be in one month, six months, one year, and so on. The training should be accomplished continuously and intermittently.
6. Modification and omission of workouts.
Strength training routines may need to be temporarily omitted or at least modified. The general rule of thumb is that exercise is permissible through a range of motion that does not cause pain. Pushing an injury too soon will only result in more pain and more recovery time. Keep in mind that many exercises use more than one muscle group. For example, a shoulder injury will require adjustment to all upper body exercises (i.e. chest, back) since theshoulder will also be involved.
7. Talking Test
Another way to make sure you aren’t pushing too hard is the talking test- During exercise, you should experience some heavy breathing, but should still be able to speak without excessive effort. If you are unable to speak during exercise, your level of exertion may be so high that you cannot get enough oxygen to your working muscles. You can also target the heart rate you want to achieve, as a percentage of your maximum heart rate. Click here, to check your target heart rate.
8. Plan a logical progression
If you have unstable joints from injury or arthritis, or you’re in a weakened condition, start by improving your muscle strength and flexibility first. Build strength using light weights, exercising the weakest parts of your body.
9. Excess repetitive movements
Excess repetitive movements can cause overuse injury, boredom and high drop-out rates. Problems can develop when a particular exercise is done to excess or is your sole form of exercise.
10. Check your resting heart rate
A simple test can tell you if you’ve rested enough. Just check your resting heart rate, experts say. If it is faster than normal the morning after a heavy workout day, then you should probably stay away from the gym that day. Most likely you haven’t fully recovered. And if you’re worried about resting too much, you should know that it takes from five to seven days of inactivity before you begin to see any decrease in strength or fitness level.
As you become more fit, your heart begins to work more efficiently, pumping more blood through your body with fewer beats. One way to track your improvement is to measure changes in your resting heart rate. Start by recording your heart rate first thing in the morning for three consecutive days. Average the three measurements. Periodically, repeat this three-day measurement, and see if your average resting heart rate decreases over time.
Eventually, you may also notice that your heart rate returns close to this baseline more quickly after exercise. This is an indication that your heart is working more efficiently.