Once they have begun, people can get really into their personal training programs. After all, looking great and feeling even better are easy to get used to. People start working out on days that they don't see their trainers, and they start adding more cardio on the weekends. Eventually there can come a point when a person's body stops, well, liking all that training. Muscles never feel fresh, joints are tight, and fatigue sets in.
When the body stops responding positively to training, it is asking for a break. A smart training program builds in proper breaks, called "recovery time". This can help prevent fatigue, injury, training plateaus, and boredom. Take a look at the following Recovery information, and call to speak with our Registered Massage Therapists about how they work with you and your trainer to make sure that your training program is helping - not hindering - your progress.
Overtraining occurs when we load our systems too much, or for too long. In highly advanced training programs over-reaching¹ is often introduced as a way to encourage performance improvements in athletes. This should be done under the supervision of a fitness professional. Unfortunately, the average individual sometimes attempts over-reaching, and ends up exhausting the body, thinking that longer and harder training sessions make for fast results. But health is not a quick fix -the key to fitness is consistency and balance.
If you feel you are dealing with the effects of overtraining, consult a medical professional. Research indicates that rest is the usual path to recovery, however the amount of rest varies per individual, and the degree of overtraining!
Over-reaching: A technique commonly used in athletic conditioning to improve strength gains at a progressive rate. Athletes undergo a phase of training utilizing heavier training loads and/or volumes than normal followed by strategically designed recovery/lower intensity training weeks!
December, 2009, Beth Keating, (BSc.Kin.)
Personal trainers help prevent overtraining and injury. Sometimes you just need a break!