Do not Overdo It

Hope you are not going crazy exercising. Too much of anything, including exercise, could send you into a tailspin and actually have a retrograde effect on your life. In fact, you can become a victim of overtraining, if you push yourself too hard.

How do you recognize that you are over training? If you are fatigued, irritable, short- tempered, have lost appetite, are looking pale, unable to sleep or have disturbed sleep, then you can bet your last dollar that you are suffering from over training. In such a case, you need to make sure:

  • Your cardiovascular sessions do not last longer than 45 minutes.
  • Your strength training sessions last not more than 45 minutes.
  • Get your complete quota of sleep.
  • You eat five times a day with adequate proteins, complex carbohydrates & fruits and a minimum of fats.
  • After three continuous days of exercise, rest for a day and start the cycle again.
  • If training twice a day, with each session lasting for more than an hour, try to get some sleep between the sessions.
  • Ensure that you are taking adequate amounts of minerals, vitamins, and water.
  • When in doubt always ask your trainer or coach. He will always warn you in advance if you care to ask.
  • Finally, remember that fitness levels can improve only if the body is challenged and tested alternately. Too much of either is not beneficial.

Note that neither overtraining nor undertraining will do you any good. You need to train for just that optimum amount of time to reap the maximum benefits from exercise.

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