Here are some reasons to help you achieve only the required amount of workout…
Regular exercise provides many health benefits. From improving your mood to decreasing your risk for developing high blood pressure to preventing long term diseases like diabetes and many other conditions. But when it comes to fitness, more is not always better – as your body needs to rest, too. In fact, over-exercising can be just as unhealthy as not getting enough. Here are some reasons to help you achieve only the required amount of workout…
If you are unwell
One of the many benefits of adhering to a fitness program is that it increases your immunity. But you still can catch a cold or get the flu. You may be wondering if you should still hit the gym. If your symptoms are below the neck, such as a chest cold and body aches, skip your workout. If your symptoms are above the neck – runny nose, stuffiness, and sneezing and you feel up to it, you still can work out if you want.
Skip over Periods
Over-exercising can cause amenorrhea, the absence of menstruation. But whether you should stop exercising due to missed periods is unclear. Discuss your periods and exercise routine with your doctor, who may recommend decreasing the intensity or length of your workouts.
Burned out
Usually after a workout you feel awesome but if you are exhausted after you have been to the gym, you could be burned out from overtraining. The best suggestion would be to skip a few workouts and give your body some desired rest.
Sleep cycle is out of whack
If you can’t sleep or can’t get enough sleep, either case could be a symptom of over-training. When your sleep patterns are consistently disturbed, it might help to take a few days off. Besides, your muscles grow when you’re resting (recovering), not when you are sweating it out at the fitness center.
Having sore muscles
Depending on how sore you are, it might be a good idea to take it easy. If your muscles are only slightly sore, exercise may bring you some relief, though you might want to choose activities that work a different set of muscles than the ones causing you pain. But if you have severe muscle soreness, skip your workout. When you alter your mechanics to compensate for sore muscles, you can put yourself at greater risk for injury.
Stomach upset
Cramps, nausea, and diarrhea are all great reasons to skip or scale back on exercise. When you have diarrhea or are throwing up, you could become dehydrated. If you were to exercise, it could accelerate that dehydration. The good news is that most stomach bugs don’t last more than a day and you can get back to your fitness routine pretty quickly. Just be sure to drink plenty of fluids to replenish your system.
Skip if you are out of time
If you are exercising so much that you are missing tons of quality time with family or friends, consider scaling back just one workout a week to make time for your emotional health, too. You won’t fall off the exercise wagon if you schedule some downtime into your fitness plan, and it can be a good way to reward yourself, excused from a week of hard workouts. Relaxation is important, too!
