Overtraining...?

Virkati

My whole body hurts. My joints hurt, muscles, just everything. Staying on track is harder right now than it's been since I started in November. Someone suggested that I may be overtraining. I looked it up and it DOES seem to fit. But I'm not sure it's a real thing. My ortho doesn't believe that women over 50 (I'm 52, and looking for a new doc), he doesn't believe that it's healthy for me to run, swim, lift, bike. Overtraining would totally fit right into his mindset so I don't want to see him about this. How do I know for sure that I'm overtraining?

3dogsrunning

Take a day or two off and see how you feel?

Do you take rest days?
Do you have deload weeks?

Virkati

I take regular rest days, I built them into my schedule to be sure I take them. I don't know what a deload week is...

barryplumber

Are you eating back at least 50% of your calories, ensure your getting the required amount of protein. Rest is very important as muscles repair themself during rest. Water is another important element lots of water as your muscles need water for repair as well. I am 57 i run 5 miles+ 6 days a week i also work out with weights 6 days a week so I know your soreness. It don't hurt to take an extra day off to relax either one in awhile. What I've suggested helped me over most of my soreness.
Good luck

DavPul

What's your weekly workout schedule look like? Are you in a calorie deficit and if so, how much? Most overtraining is undereating, and your doing quite a bit.

ninerbuff

Lack of rest (actual sleep) and lack of nutrition will usually be the culprits in feeling this way. Over training is real, but it takes a lot to do it.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

tomatoey

Check your calories, and def rest, but it could be any of a dozen (or more) totally different things, some of them complicated or systemic. Find a GP you can communicate with, who is on top of women's hormonal health (get recommendations).

middlehaitch

If you are skirting around menopause, look at your sleep. I had an easy menopause, but my sleep was a lot more restless than before. Covers on, covers off; cooling down, warming up. They were seconds out of my sleep, but boy it did a number on my energy levels.
3x60 a week kept me sane, any more and I didn't function well socially.

Just something else to look at.

Cheers, h.

Virkati

DavPul wrote: »

What's your weekly workout schedule look like? Are you in a calorie deficit and if so, how much? Most overtraining is undereating, and your doing quite a bit.

Swim 4/wk, bike 3/wk, run 3-4/wk, lift 1/every 4 days. Rest on the fifth day.

ninerbuff wrote: »

Lack of rest (actual sleep) and lack of nutrition will usually be the culprits in feeling this way. Over training is real, but it takes a lot to do it.

I have not been sleeping as well as I used to and I'm definitely having a really hard time getting all the calories in. I just thought it was a phase and would pass, but it hasn't. The more I work out, the less appetite I have. Haven't figured out my way around that one yet. I didn't realize it would/could have SUCH an impact on my whole body.

**For the record, I use a CPAP. I was diagnosed with severe sleep apnea. I'm down 36 pounds, but still have 34 to go to hit my "ideal" goal weight. I'm out of the obese category, but still a long way to go for a normal BMI. I really appreciate all the input. Thank you.

middlehaitch

I am no exercise guru, the opposite in fact, but it looks like you are doing a heck of a lot.

If you are comfortable doing it, try cutting back to an hour or so x5 a week. Also reassess your calories. I am not sure of your rate of loss, but upping to maintenance for a few weeks, with a few less hours exercising, may be just what you need.

You are over half way to your goal, well done!
Complete the other half well.

Cheers, h.

DavPul

Virkati wrote: »

DavPul wrote: »

What's your weekly workout schedule look like? Are you in a calorie deficit and if so, how much? Most overtraining is undereating, and your doing quite a bit.

Swim 4/wk, bike 3/wk, run 3-4/wk, lift 1/every 4 days. Rest on the fifth day.

ninerbuff wrote: »

Lack of rest (actual sleep) and lack of nutrition will usually be the culprits in feeling this way. Over training is real, but it takes a lot to do it.

I have not been sleeping as well as I used to and I'm definitely having a really hard time getting all the calories in. I just thought it was a phase and would pass, but it hasn't. The more I work out, the less appetite I have. Haven't figured out my way around that one yet. I didn't realize it would/could have SUCH an impact on my whole body.

**For the record, I use a CPAP. I was diagnosed with severe sleep apnea. I'm down 36 pounds, but still have 34 to go to hit my "ideal" goal weight. I'm out of the obese category, but still a long way to go for a normal BMI. I really appreciate all the input. Thank you.

Take a week off, maybe two. Take a good, hard look at your calories and make sure your deficit isn't too large. As in, no more than 400-700 calories per day, including all of your exercise calories. Start back up, monitor your mood/energy levels, moderate your intake and output accordingly. And moderate it quickly. Don't wait until you can't get out of bed for a week before you slow down or eat more. ***with the level of activity you're doing, you're better of losing really really slowly***

And DONT avoid your doctor. I'm not saying listen to his/her exercise advice as if it's Gospel, because I sure don't. But you're at an age where stuff happens. REAL stuff. getting a medical opinion on what's just being tired vs what's the symptom of something serious is going to benefit you earlier rather than later.

Virkati

Thanks everyone. Taking some real time off and reevaluating at the end. I have an appt with my GP on Tuesday and I'll discuss it with him too. I'm going to look into some protein powders, that seems like it might be a good way to keep the protein intake where it should be and help get the calories in. I appreciate the helpful advice, and I'm putting it into action starting today!

jim180155

Virkati wrote: »

I take regular rest days, I built them into my schedule to be sure I take them. I don't know what a deload week is...

A deload week is weightlifter jargon for taking a week off. You can either stop working out altogether, or limit yourself to around 50% of your normal intensity and/or duration.

Especially with weight training, you build strength and muscle by overloading your muscles which causes micro tears. Basically, you damage your muscles by over-stressing them. Through protein synthesis, your body then rebuilds the muscles to come back just a little bit stronger. To do this you need adequate rest, sleep and protein intake. Also worth noting, although you can work out with the same intensity as you age, recovery takes longer.

I think this would be a good time to take a deload week. You didn't detail how much weight lifting, running, swimming or biking you're doing, but it would probably be best to just cut back on all of it for the week, then see how you feel when you start back into your normal routine next week.

I've been on a deload and get to start again tomorrow. I can hardly wait. No, really. Forcing yourself to take a week off makes you appreciate how fun it can be to exercise.

Almost forgot: the "normal" timing for a deload week is something like every 8 to 10 weeks. But as you get older the timing drops to every 6 to 7 weeks because, again, recovery takes longer as you age. (I'm 9 years older than you, BTW.)

3dogsrunning

jim180155 wrote: »

Virkati wrote: »

I take regular rest days, I built them into my schedule to be sure I take them. I don't know what a deload week is...

A deload week is weightlifter jargon for taking a week off. You can either stop working out altogether, or limit yourself to around 50% of your normal intensity and/or duration.

Especially with weight training, you build strength and muscle by overloading your muscles which causes micro tears. Basically, you damage your muscles by over-stressing them. Through protein synthesis, your body then rebuilds the muscles to come back just a little bit stronger. To do this you need adequate rest, sleep and protein intake. Also worth noting, although you can work out with the same intensity as you age, recovery takes longer.

I think this would be a good time to take a deload week. You didn't detail how much weight lifting, running, swimming or biking you're doing, but it would probably be best to just cut back on all of it for the week, then see how you feel when you start back into your normal routine next week.

I've been on a deload and get to start again tomorrow. I can hardly wait. No, really. Forcing yourself to take a week off makes you appreciate how fun it can be to exercise.

Almost forgot: the "normal" timing for a deload week is something like every 8 to 10 weeks. But as you get older the timing drops to every 6 to 7 weeks because, again, recovery takes longer as you age. (I'm 9 years older than you, BTW.)

Deload isn't just for weight lifting.
Any running/biking schedule where you are building mileage has a deload week built in every 4th week or so.
You don't have to stop, just cut back on distance and/or intensity.

jim180155

3dogsrunning wrote: »

Deload isn't just for weight lifting.
Any running/biking schedule where you are building mileage has a deload week built in every 4th week or so.

My mistake. I should have paid more attention to some of my cycling books.

Virkati

@jim180155 thank you! That makes a lot of sense. I was already considering altering my schedule but I think now I'll just re-do the whole thing and add in actual time off. Normally my "time off" is really just a major reduction in activity...actual time off makes me sad and super antsy to get back to it. But if the way I feel now is due to never really taking a break, then obviously I need to get my head on straight.


ETA... @3dogsrunning ...reduction in intensity...that's where I really struggle.

rileyes

Virkati wrote: »

My whole body hurts. My joints hurt, muscles, just everything. Staying on track is harder right now than it's been since I started in November. Someone suggested that I may be overtraining. I looked it up and it DOES seem to fit. But I'm not sure it's a real thing. My ortho doesn't believe that women over 50 (I'm 52, and looking for a new doc), he doesn't believe that it's healthy for me to run, swim, lift, bike. Overtraining would totally fit right into his mindset so I don't want to see him about this. How do I know for sure that I'm overtraining?

When you say ortho, do you mean orthopedic surgeon? I've never met a non-athletic orthopedic surgeon. They are pretty well educated on bones and muscle. This type of doctor would have to have a good reason to say your lifestyle is unhealthy.

There was a "can't progress in push-up thread" on here the other day. The person was doing chair push-ups every day and wasn't able to progress to the floor. Others suggested she do them every other day and she may see progress.

Listen to your body. Allow recovery time. I'm over 50 and quite active and injury-free. So it can be done.

Virkati

Yes my ortho is an orthopedic surgeon. He is 72. He plays golf, thinks that's all anyone needs to do. I hate golf. I went to him with a stress fracture of the clavicle about 9 months ago. He told me that what I was doing, aerobic classes, circuit training, treadmilling, stationary biking, were all bad for me because I'm over 50. That's why they were bad for me, simply due to my age. I thought that was bs. I still think that's bs. I've healed from that injury and progressed from only walking to running, added swimming, and just started lifting. I've been cycling for quite awhile. That is why I don't want to discuss this with him. I know what I'm doing and want to do can be done...I'm doing them. I just needed to know if I was overdoing it.

cwolfman13

Virkati wrote: »

@jim180155 thank you! That makes a lot of sense. I was already considering altering my schedule but I think now I'll just re-do the whole thing and add in actual time off. Normally my "time off" is really just a major reduction in activity...actual time off makes me sad and super antsy to get back to it. But if the way I feel now is due to never really taking a break, then obviously I need to get my head on straight.


ETA... @3dogsrunning ...reduction in intensity...that's where I really struggle.

you will also find that you will make more fitness gains with actual recovery. rest = cycling PRs and weight room PRs for me.