Exercise & Fitness Articles

It's very easy to understand that once you get started with your exercise program, you'd like to see results as soon as humanly possible. But if done incorrectly, the urge to achieve results will end up with overtraining which further leads to many a drawback, such as fatigue, mental weakness, inability to focus and concentrate...etc

Let's look at 3 ways that can help ensure overtraining is avoided:

1. Don't exercise too much. If you know how to manipulate 3 such factors as the amount, intensity, and type of exercise, you'd be able to train like top athletes and reduce the possibility of overtraining. By starting the season right with low-intensity workout, and gradually adding up the intensity by means of employing the right amount of stress while paying attention on the correctness of technique, you'd be inserting just the right amount of the '3 factors' and achieve whole lot better results in terms of improved performance without the risk of being burned out, or simply put - 'overtrained.'

World class athletes would adjust their training intensity with the concept of 'active rest' in which they engage in low-key sports during routine workout other than the sport they're training for so that their 'system' is kept well alert and supported with elementary essentials that can serve as main contributing energy sources when it comes to 'giving it their best shots' in real sport competition.

2. Eat correctly in terms of quality and quantity. While it's true that athletes need more protein if they're exercising intensely, they also need to be sure to eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, and other complex carbohydrates such as pastas and cereals. Otherwise the protein in the diet is used to replace glycogen instead of to repair muscle. Put simply, for sudden burst of energy, carbohydrates are called upon first and proteins and fats are used as reserved sources and used only when the former is depleted. However, each has their important roles to play in the whole synergy of energy employment.

That's why if you're exercising hard and long, be sure you get plenty of calories and, in particular, plenty of complex carbohydrates. Loss of appetite is a typical sign of overtraining. Just when your muscles need calories and glycogen the most, you don't feel like eating at all. This is the basic sign the body will use to alert you to the danger of overtraining.

3. Take enough rest so that the body can repair itself during the 'off' periods. A very good example can be obtained by looking at bodybuilding. Professional bodybuilders know too well that if they train hard and long but don't give their body good enough rest, their bodies will just protest and stop muscle gain altogether. It's very common knowledge among these bodybuilders that they'd start to see the increase of body mass during or after they take some time off training, or after a period of 'active rest' - training in a very light manner. Rest is actually the time the body needs to restructure itself to show the gains. The same principle applies in all sports; hence the need for 'peak season training' as well as 'off season training.'

By following these basic guidelines, you'd find it easy to avoid overtraining and therefore have better sport performance as a result of correct training intensity.