10 Signs You're Exercising Too Much

10 Signs You're Exercising Too Much by Chelsea Bush

Think you need to push harder if you're tired, sore, or sluggish? Think again!

Regular workouts are supposed to increase your muscle mass and decrease your body fat, right? Well, yes, with a caveat. Some folks ramp it up too much especially when they start a new training regimen to prepare themselves for, say, a grueling marathon or triathlon. However, overdoing your workouts can actually lead to diminished strength and increased body fat, your body's way of begging for a break. While your body can handle a particularly tough workout, it also needs time to recover from the stress overload, says Corey Stenstrup, performance development trainer at IMG Academies.



The best way to recover from that particularly tough workout? A day or two of rest followed by a light bout of exercise, recommends Stenstrup. Also make a point to get at least 8 hours of sleep a night, which your body will need to repair those tiny muscle tears that occur during workouts and enable your body to build new muscle. Good nutrition is also key: Think lean protein (fish, skinless chicken breast, tofu), generous servings of vegetables, moderate fruits, and whole grain products.  Here are the 10 ways your body will let you know if you're headed for exercise burnout.



1. Fatigue. Persistent, otherwise unexplained mental or physical grogginess is a hallmark sign of overtraining, says nutritional biochemist Shawn M. Talbott and author of Natural Solutions for Pain-Free Living, based on his research on over-stress patterns in professional athletes. "The knee-jerk reaction to sluggishness is to exercise for an energy boost, but it's a catch-22," he says. "Another workout might wake you up short-term, but you'll be worse off later on."



2. Weakened immune system. “If you keep trying to push through the funk, Talbott warns, "you'll keep sliding down—to a weakened immune system, inflammation, and outright injury." Not a good thing. Prolonged overtraining can take weeks, even months, to recover from, and can put your health at risk. Chronic inflammation, for example, has been linked to diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Bottom line: Nurture your body and give it a much-deserved break when it needs to rest after that tough workout.



3. Decreased performance. A drop in your workout performance is one of the earliest signs of overload, according to Jini Cicero, a conditioning specialist based in Los Angeles, Calif. Altered performance levels are often more apparent in endurance activities such as running, swimming and cycling, she says.



4. Delayed recovery time. Persistent muscle soreness that lasts for days after your workout (or never quite goes away) is a sure sign you need more rest, according to Joseph Ciccone, a physical therapist at Columbia Doctors Eastside Sports Therapy in New York City.



5. Fat gain. If you've lost weight but noticed an increase in body fat, you could be in the later stages of exercise overload. The body responds to prolonged stress by elevating levels of stress hormones, including cortisol, Stenstrup says. Over time this will lead to increased storage of adipose tissue, as well as inhibit steroid-like hormones that normally help increase muscle. A decrease in muscle mass can cause you to shed a few pounds, but the wrong kind of pounds (your muscle). This isn't a good thing since it means your body will lose strength and become less efficient at burning fat.



6. Declining interest in exercise. A significant decrease in motivation or enjoyment of the activity can be a major sign of burnout, Cicero says. This more often occurs in those who are driven by speed, power, and big pushes towards ambitious performance goals.



7. Mood changes. Depression, anger, confusion, anxiety and irritability are common when your body is overstressed physically. Those same stress hormones you release when you're emotionally stressed are also released when you're physically overloaded, Cicero explains.





8. Elevated resting heart rate. "When you put more stress on the heart, it has to work a lot harder," Ciccone says. An increase in your normal resting heart rate, say, from 50 beats per minute to 65 beats per minute, could indicate that you're placing excessive stress on your body.


9. Insomnia. Being in a state of overload often comes with disrupted sleep patterns, so instead of getting that much-needed rest, Talbott says, "you become restless and can't fall asleep."



10. Diminished appetite. "A decrease in appetite can occur in the middle to later stages of overtraining, and goes hand in hand with feelings of fatigue and lack of motivation," says Stenstrup. By slowing down bodily processes like metabolism, the body attempts to force a reduction in its workload.



Chelsea Bush writes for AskFitnessCoach, a blog that promotes fitness and weight loss for "real" people.