EXERCISE IS BAD FOR YOU...

... if you do too much too soon...

I felt like making this post because I am seeing more and more people on here who are going crazy with their workouts. I see some people who go for long runs in the morning, P90X or Inanity in the afternoon, and strength train in the evening, then get 6 hours of sleep or less, just to do it again the next day, without taking a full day off for rest.

I won't try to convince them to pull back, because it's not my place, but I feel it would be wise to share some good information with everyone on here.

By working out at a high intensity, or ramping up your workouts quickly, especially without good rest, puts you at high risk of over training. Over training is simply when you put your body through more stress than it is accustomed to for an extended period of time. The symptoms of over training are as follows:

Common Warning Signs and Symptoms of Overtraining Syndrome

- Washed-out feeling, tired, drained, lack of energy
- Mild leg soreness, general aches and pains
- Pain in muscles and joints
- Sudden drop in performance
- Insomnia
- Headaches
- Decreased immunity (increased number of colds, and sore throats)
- Decrease in training capacity / intensity
- Moodiness and irritability
- Depression
- Loss of enthusiasm for the sport
- Decreased appetite
- Increased incidence of injuries.
- A compulsive need to exercise

http://sportsmedicine.about.com/cs/overtraining/a/aa062499a.htm

Most professional athletes have experienced it, as it is a very common occurrence. It is especially common in beginners because they feel the need to workout more and more, in order to burn off the weight as quickly as possible.

The last symptom is especially scary, because if you are over training, you may feel the need to keep pushing harder and harder, while getting upset and depressed with yourself because you aren't getting any faster, and are actually getting slower and weaker.

If you suspect you're suffering any of these symptoms, take a day off and see how you feel the next day. It doesn't take long for you to recover from over training. All you need is rest.

The best way to prevent over training from happening in the first place is to measure your heart rate in the morning, right after you wake up, and before you get out of bed. Simply check it with two fingers over the artery in your neck, and count the number of beat in one minute. I avoid counting more 15 seconds, because multiplying it by 4 increases the risk of error. That is your resting heart rate. It should be consistent every morning, and over time, as you become stronger, it will gradually decrease over time.

If one morning, it is elevated by 5 bpm or more, your body is under stress, and you should take it easy that day. If it is up by 10 bpm or more, then you're either over training, or you have an illness coming on. It is strongly recommended you take that day off and see how you feel the next day.

Keep a log of your waking heart rates. Over time, you will be able to see a trend, and you will learn more about yourself as time goes by. Knowledge is power, and with this power you will be able to train better and harder!

Another way to prevent over training is by starting out EASY, and increasing your intensity, duration, or distance by no more than 10% every week, month, and year. Also give yourself "plateaus" and rest weeks to give your body a break from the ever-increasing stress you are giving it. Do your best to keep all this logged as well so you can look back on it and see how well you're doing!

I realize this is a double post. I just needed a more eye-catching name. Obviously exercise isn't bad for you, but you can over do it, and it isn't hard to do.