Overtraining Issues

Exercise is good for you, but sometimes you can get too much of a good thing! This point will be reached at different times for different people. Exercise should be tiring, but it should also serve a greater goal, and invigorate you over the long haul. If you are more exhausted and depressed than anything after a workout (any workout,) you may be overtraining. It is important to note that “training” can be anything from lifting weights at the gym, going for an occasional run, to setting a program to run a triathlon.

Some signs of overtraining are as follows*:

• Decreased performance
• Prolonged recovery time
• Headaches
• Loss of appetite
• Extreme muscle soreness (lasting more than 2 days)
• Stomach disturbances
• Increased illnesses and injuries
• Loss of sleep
• Irritability and depression

Increased training due to an upcoming competition is understandable. It is also common to start a new routine, see great results, and then get too fanatical about sticking to the routine. However, if it is coming at the expense of your everyday life, it may not be worth it.

To avoid burnout, it is important to understand that taking a break once in awhile is OK. Listen to your body. If you start to see signs of overtraining, skip a workout or two, even if it is part of a program leading up to a competition. Also, gradually work towards a heavy training load. Work towards your goals smartly. Finally, don’t feel obligated to keep up with everyone else’s training schedules. Everyone has a different lifestyle, fitness level, and fitness goals.

In conclusion, train hard, but listen to your body. It is beneficial to moderate your workload from time to time. It may not seem like it immediately, but it will help you reach your goals more quickly than “working through it.”

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• Tip of the Month

  June 2010

  Abdominal Workouts: Frequency, Intensity, and Duration

  Over the past 15 years, there has been countless advice on how to “properly” train your abdominals, or core.  There isn’t a fitness magazine out there that doesn’t publish a different abdominal workout each and every issue.  Opinions and research may change over time, but there are a few things you should look at before you alter your workout with each Fitness Magazine you read!
  First of all, it is important to know what your overall fitness and health goal is before designing a strength program for any body part, especially the mid-section.  For overall fitness, it is smartest to treat your abdominal muscles as you would any other muscle group.  The tried and true guidelines for most exercise programs is to work specific muscles to fatigue within a 30-60 second set time limit (intensity and duration,) while giving the worked muscle group at least 24-48 hours of rest (frequency) before working it again.  The amount of sets you do in a given workout (frequency again) can vary from as little as 4 sets to up to 12 for the average workout.  The science behind these theories is sound.  While exercising, pushing your body significantly past the 60 second mark without fatigue generally incorporates aerobic energy, thereby not stressing the muscles most efficiently.  And rest is necessary so that your body can properly rebuild the muscle fibers that you have broken down.  Additionally, you want to be at 100% energy levels for your next workout!

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• Recipe of the Month

  June 2010

  Ham and Cheese Breakfast Casserole

  This healthy update of a traditionally rich ham-and-cheese breakfast strata is made lighter primarily by losing a few egg yolks and using nonfat milk. Gruyère cheese has a delicious, nutty aroma and flavor, which means that with the relatively small amount in this recipe you still get a big impact. To finish the makeover use nutritious, fiber-rich, whole-grain bread instead of white. The results: plenty of flavor, half the calories and one-third the fat of the original.

  4 large eggs
  4 large egg whites
  1 cup nonfat milk
  2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
  1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  5 cups chopped spinach, wilted (see Tip)
  4 cups whole-grain bread, crusts removed if desired, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 1/2 pound, 4-6 slices)
  1 cup diced ham steak, (5 ounces)
  1/2 cup chopped jarred roasted red peppers
  3/4 cup shredded Gruyère, or Swiss cheese
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