It’s a common sight to see people getting injured during their routine exercises. If you ask about the causes of these injuries then most of you will be surprised with the answer. People themselves get injured without any accident or faulty machine.
In most cases people overdo training which causes internal injury to the muscles and tendons. It is necessary therefore that you exercise with care making sure you do not overdo it. Many people ask how we will know how much exercising is enough. Its simple when you start getting uncomfortable or your body starts aching then there is something wrong. Stop and think or ask your trainer.
Why to avoid Overtraining?
There are many reasons to avoid overtraining. If you think that paining your body will help you to built extra muscles then you are wrong. You most probably will end up damaging or injuring your body. If you are dealing with any of these warning signs then you are definitely overtraining. 
Soreness or Constant pain
Little soreness in your exposed body areas is normal after a workout and it indicates that you have exercised well. Commonly such soreness should pass in a couple of days but if the soreness is intact for days and your joints are aching then you are doing it wrong.
Difficult to workout
If in the course of workout you find that exercises which were once really easy are now difficult to manage then it’s a sigh that you should ease up the regime.
Heart rate increase
It’s obvious that your heart rate will go up during an exercise. However if your heart beat increases even when you are not working out then it is a concern. If you are overtraining then your heart beat will take more time than normal to come back to normal.
Disturbed sleep or diet
Overtraining may cause a loss of appetite as well as making sleep difficult. This is more common when you work out within a couple of hours of bedtime.
Sickness
You immunity can be hampered with overtraining resulting into frequent outburst of infections and colds. Frequent headaches are also a common symptom. In women overtraining can lead to irregular or complete ceasing of their menstrual periods. Too much weight loss, depression, feelings of irritability and loss of focus are some other signs.
Prevention
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms then it is necessary to take precautions.
- Prima facie you can talk to your trainer about the problem you are facing. This will root out any improper form or position problem if there.
- Second, you can try scaling back your workout regime. Try to exercise with variation and less intensity. It is also necessary to remain hydrated while you exercise.
- Never ever ignore pain of any kind. Seek trainer’s help or consult a doctor if your problem persists.
- Take a break when you feel like exercising is getting difficult. This will ensure that you are not injuring yourself.
Keep one fact clear in mind, overdoing or straining your body through workout is not going to provide any benefit but only backfire.
Mike Shiles is a bodybuilder, gym owner, freelance writer, success coach and author of “Burn fat build muscle. He has written thousands of articles on exercise, nutrition and health.