Brain fog, high blood pressure, fatigue, headaches—all of these are like siren bells we often dismiss. But like Mary, who had learned to ignore her own physical discomfort—there are often cues that tell us we're taking on more than we can handle.
Signs that you're excessively exercising include feeling fatigued, a decrease in performance, proclivity for injury, changes in appetite, and mood changes. If you're experiencing any of these issues, try adding more rest after working out and take days to rest and recover.
Major signs of overworking include having trouble relaxing and feeling like there's not enough time in the day to get everything done. Other telltale signs include never being able to complete a to-do list and seeing our health deteriorate, such as gaining or losing weight.
Understanding Burnout vs.
Generally speaking, laziness is a choice to avoid hard work or effort. Lazy people lack sufficient motivation to complete their responsibilities or to pursue goals in life. Burnout, however, is the consequence of being overworked. If you're feeling burnt out, you don't have a choice.
You feel overwhelmed, scattered, or burnt out
These feelings are all warning signs that you may be doing too much.
The Department of Health and Human Services does not specify an upper limit of exercise at which this condition becomes a risk. As a general rule, women's health specialist Felice Gersh, M.D., said 90 minutes per day is the point when people become susceptible to overtraining syndrome and its associated symptoms.
But most people should aim for 1 to 3 rest days per week. You can use your rest days to support recovery by doing light exercise and working on mobility. Your workout schedule may not always go as planned. So listen to your body and take a rest day when you feel depleted or have unusual aches and pains.
It showed links between working longer hours and adverse health problems. Some of those included strokes and type 2 diabetes for those in lower socioeconomic status groups. The Harvard Medical School summarized the results. People who worked 55 or more hours a week increased their risk of heart attack by 13 percent.
Symptoms of overuse injuries include: tingling, numbness, or pain in the affected area. stiffness or soreness in the neck or back. feelings of weakness or fatigue in the hands, arms, or legs.
Recovery practices could be taking a day just to be outside in nature, carving out time to reconnect with friends, or even going on a long walk or run to shed the stress of a tough day.
Red flags, which may point towards serious underlying pathology, include constitutional symptoms (unintentional loss of weight, loss of appetite, fever), recent onset in a previously well older patient, unexplained lymphadenopathy and abnormal bleeding.
One way is to increase your cardiovascular endurance. Working up to longer rides or runs, for example, is a great way to increase your VO2 max and, in turn, add years to your life. Dr. Roizen adds that cardiovascular exercises—including walking—have been repeatedly scientifically linked to longevity.
Aerobic exercise includes any activity that raises your heart rate such as walking, dancing, running or swimming. This can also include doing housework, gardening and playing with your children. Other types of exercise such as strength training, Pilates and yoga can also help you lose belly fat.
Muscle is denser (meaning a lot less fluffy) than fat, says Dr. Calabrese. Put another way, 10 pounds of muscle takes up a lot less space than 10 pounds of fat. So, as you start working out regularly and building strength, the new muscle you build may eventually weigh more than the fat you've burnt off.
Symptoms of stage 2 overtraining syndrome (sympathetic overtraining syndrome) can include: Insomnia. Mood changes like feeling irritable, agitated or restless more often than usual. Tachycardia (an unusually fast heartbeat, more than 100 beats per minute at rest).
How do I know if I need a break? If you're feeling overwhelmed, constantly fatigued, struggling to focus, or emotionally drained, it's a sign that you may need a mental health break. Taking time to pause, rest, and reset can help improve your wellbeing and productivity.
You might wake up feeling exhausted after a heavy training session or notice a little more muscle soreness than usual. There might be mental signs too. You might find yourself questioning whether you want to or are capable of exercising today, or losing interest in your long-term goals.