7 Helpful Tips to Avoid Overtraining and Why Is It Important

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Effective training is a combination of three classical processes: workout, rest, and recovery.

When you train hard, you need enough time to rest, usually meaning good sleep, and also to allow a muscle recovery period. Otherwise, working too hard can lead to poor results. And what is worse, it may lead to overtraining or, according to official classification, Overtraining Syndrome (OTS). Some athletes and trainers may also call it “burnout”, “overwork”, and “staleness.”

Long-term effects of overtraining can spoil life for many months and even years, and need detailed attention and training plan correction.

Symptoms of overtraining

Most professional physiologists insist that the danger of overtraining effects on health is a rare phenomenon and happens only to competitive athletes. Some muscle soreness and general fatigue after training is not an overtraining effect in most cases.

Generally people do not train hard enough or often enough to get that syndrome. Still, you have to be careful if you have the following symptoms after each training:

• Low training motivation and energy;
• Loss of appetite;
• Low libido;
• Irritation, stress, and anxiety;
• Bad sleep, nightmares, or constant insomnia;
• Depressed mood;
• Heart rate and blood pressure problems;
• Poor concentration;
• Competition fear;
• Decreased self-esteem;
• Menstrual irregularities.

If you have only a few of the symptoms, there is no need to worry. But if you experience most of them, it is better to pay attention to possible overtraining syndrome. Some of the symptoms overlap with clinical depression and chronic fatigue syndrome. So it is advisable to visit a doctor to have a professional opinion.

Please scroll down to find out how to distinguish overtraining adverse effects and to avoid them. 

1. Create a plan

If you dream of outstanding fitness results without overtraining danger side effects, make a detailed schedule and follow it. The best variant is to consult a professional coach to get an optimal program for your age and health level.

Some people think that it is better to do something, even if it is not enough and not regularly, instead of doing nothing. In general, this under-reaching activity is better for the body than no exercise at all.

The opposite side is overreaching. It is closer to overtraining syndrome due to its inconsistent and inadequate intensity. So, if you need a stable training system without health problems, make a plan and stay self-motivated.

2. Volume is important

Overtraining may occur when there is no right balance between training volume (the time of activity) and training intensity.

In other words, when you train too long and too hard, you can more likely have overtraining effects on your body than when you train just hard. So, lessen the time of intensive exercises. Forget about marathon running and control the number of sets in strength exercise sessions. You are better to make one rep in lifting and not feel tired, than making several reps with low weights and feel exhausted.

If you are keen on running, move to shorter distances from marathon habits. Do not run fast; do not run too long. Choose the distance that is suitable to your age and health condition—Balance the training.

3. Dietary regime

There is a semi-mistaken belief that you have to get fewer calories to lose weight correctly. In general, it works this way, though when you do not receive sufficient fuel for the body, you will not recover the proper way in time.

Incorrect consumption may also lead to overtraining physiological effects. That is why many athletes follow special carbohydrate diet plans that help to recover faster after the intense training. Carbohydrate consumption refills intermuscular stores of glycogen. It should be taken within 30 minutes after training. Some athletes drink carbohydrate-rich beverages; others prefer natural food like dried raisins, baby carrots and broccoli, fruit salad, or homemade semolina pasta.

4. Enjoy diversity to avoid overtraining effects

You can reach the fine line between overtraining effects on muscles and efficient training by changing various sports activities or CrossFit training. Change distances, time, number and type of sets, and speed of the exercises you usually choose.

Take one day of the week and devote it to the sports you have never tried before. New muscles involved in the training and new neural pathways would help to avoid the mental effects of overtraining such as insomnia and irritation.

Still, the whole training program should be planned around your favourite activities. Inconvenient activities may cause undesirable stress and increase the overtraining effect.

5. Avoid stress

People have lots of stress in everyday life. You may think about working problems, family and children stress, financial hardships, and many others. Though, our body considers demanding work out in the gym as a kind of stress as well. So, when you think that you get rid of stress while exercising, in reality, you collect more stress that may cause overtraining effects on mental health.

When stresses surround you, do not give up training. Better think of changing its intensity. Swap workouts with lifts for Pilates or yoga class. Add relaxing meditation during massage sessions after the cardio marathon.

Do not forget that cardio exercises may increase overtraining effects on the heart, even if you get the best workout shirts for men. ​

6. Find a balance

Body recovery is essential. No matter how hard you work out, even if it was a little afternoon hiking with friends, your muscles need complete recovery.

The solution of balanced training lies in helping your body to get enough rest right after the activity, enjoying sufficient nutrition, and having a full muscle recovery. Overtraining effects on immunity may become dangerous if you do not get this balance right.

As an effect of overtraining, immune suppression may show itself as an increased amount of respiratory illnesses, slow healing skin, or stomach and neurological problems. If you continue working out through these problems, you will increase the recovery time and stay in OTS for longer.

7. Listen to your body

Body fatigue and soreness are usual symptoms of any workout session. It is normal for active people. You do not have to worry if you feel them after training.

What you have to remember is to change the muscle group and to give 48 hours’ rest. If you still feel sore in the muscle group, give more rest up to 5 days. Some coaches say “no pain, no gain”. However, you are the only person who knows what is going on inside your body. 

Do not let the training routine kill your progress and lead to overreaching and overtraining next. You have to restore glycogen, update hormone levels and muscle fibres to keep your body strong and healthy.

Bottom line

Overtraining is a complex problem. Though it mainly happens to professional and competitive athletes, everyone has to monitor indicating symptoms.

If you change your life and training by adding balanced rest and recovery, you can avoid overtraining effects on a workout routine.

Still, you have to draw a thick line between just a heavy-working in the gym and the real effects of overtraining. Also, the overtraining symptoms can be the signs of many other diseases. Your therapist can distinguish them, so check your health.

We hope this article will help you to create the right training plan. So, have smart workouts and stay healthy. Please share your results with us in the comments.

*About the author: Thomas Nemel is passionate about fitness and copywriting. He has been involved in sports since his father taught him to love it in childhood. Now he has got a strong background in athletics and shares his interests through writing. Thomas’ goal is to inspire others to engage in healthy living.

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