Overtraining: When Less Is More

Not allowing your body adequate time to rest and recover from exercising will only make it harder to reach your fitness goals. Typically associated with little rest and excessive repetition, overtraining can result in injury or illness.

Here are some strategies that will help you avoid overtraining:

Sleep – Make sure to get plenty of sleep. This ensures that the body has ample time to replenish muscles and restore strength.
Proper nutrition – Food is just as important as sleep. The body will use food as fuel to help the body recover.
Warm-up – Warming up before a workout alleviates tight muscles that could encourage overcompensation, which can lead to injury.
Varying intensity – Varying the intensity levels of your workout routines challenges different muscle groups while allowing others to recover.
Recovery days – Taking days off from training allows the body to recover and for you to prepare mentally and physically for the next workout.

Recognizing the symptoms of overtraining could grant you enough time to make the needed adjustments to prevent injury or illness. Typical warning signs of overtraining include the following:

  • Aches or pain in muscles/joints
  • Appetite loss
  • Decline in performance    
  • Decreased immunity        
  • Elevated pulse in the morning
  • Fatigue            
  • Headaches            
  • Insomnia            
  • Sudden inability to complete workouts

At Heartland Orthopedic Specialists, we offer several PEAK Performance programs, designed by experts who know and understand the physical demands of each specific sport. These programs target and train those areas to avoid injuries, refine skill sets, improve performance, and advance athletic potential.

Heartland Orthopedic Specialists and our fitness specialist, Duane Malo, L.A.T., C.S.C.S., N.S.C.A.-C.P.T, U.S.A.T., Lvl1, offers athletes the following programs:

  • PEAK Performance
  • PEAK Performance Golf
  • PEAK Performance Hockey
  • Team PEAK Performance

Through these programs, athletes progress through our Kindle, Fire, and Ignite levels and are strengthened and trained for injury prevention and optimal athletic performance, while performing age-appropriate skill acquisition.

Do you have questions regarding overtraining injuries or our PEAK Performance programs? Heartland Orthopedic Specialists has specialists that can help. Call (320) 805-0863 to schedule a visit or click here to schedule an appointment online.