We’d never advise you to miss your workout sessions, but too much gym time can actually do more harm than good. When it comes to the gym, it’s important to realize that more is not better. And though the pains that you get after a hard workout session are normal and actually good, it can be worrisome, however, if the pains start affecting your daily life and don’t subside overtime. Chances are you might have hurt yourself. Fret not as we tell you signs that indicate you’re not killing it at the gym but are actually killing yourself.
Acute ache in the bones
Any sharp, sudden and traumatic pains at the joints or any other part of the body is a red flag. Heavy cardio exercises or even weight-bearing exercises, sometimes, which include heavy pounding, can result in hairline fractures, tiny cracks in the bones of your feet or lower leg. Change up your cardio sessions, incorporate exercises that require full motion of the body as opposed to exercises that put localized pressure.
Any sharp, sudden and traumatic pains at the joints or any other part of the body is a red flag. Heavy cardio exercises or even weight-bearing exercises, sometimes, which include heavy pounding, can result in hairline fractures, tiny cracks in the bones of your feet or lower leg. Change up your cardio sessions, incorporate exercises that require full motion of the body as opposed to exercises that put localized pressure.
You lose sleep
If you’re feeling restless, excitable and finding it difficult to go to sleep, especially after a late night workout session, this may point to over-exercising. This is because your body releases hormones during exercise, including adrenaline, that remain elevated for at least a couple of hours, making it harder to fall asleep. It’s an indication that you need to cut down your gym time because a 7-8 hour sleep is a mandate for proper functioning of your body.
If you’re feeling restless, excitable and finding it difficult to go to sleep, especially after a late night workout session, this may point to over-exercising. This is because your body releases hormones during exercise, including adrenaline, that remain elevated for at least a couple of hours, making it harder to fall asleep. It’s an indication that you need to cut down your gym time because a 7-8 hour sleep is a mandate for proper functioning of your body.
Your immune system weakens
Over exercising can lower the body's ability to fight off infection. This is because non-stop exercise means the body is using up all its energy to work out - leaving insufficient energy fight off infection including colds and flu. You might even notice that a normal cut or a scratch takes longer than usual to heal. Try alternating harder workouts with moderate sessions to give your system a chance to recover its defense mechanism.
Over exercising can lower the body's ability to fight off infection. This is because non-stop exercise means the body is using up all its energy to work out - leaving insufficient energy fight off infection including colds and flu. You might even notice that a normal cut or a scratch takes longer than usual to heal. Try alternating harder workouts with moderate sessions to give your system a chance to recover its defense mechanism.
Your heart is higher than usual
One of the other signs of overdoing at the gym is your heart rate, which spikes up and gallops like a horse, even when you’re performing normal everyday activities. Keep this in check by measuring your morning heart rate by feeling your pulse before you stand up to get out of bed in the morning.
One of the other signs of overdoing at the gym is your heart rate, which spikes up and gallops like a horse, even when you’re performing normal everyday activities. Keep this in check by measuring your morning heart rate by feeling your pulse before you stand up to get out of bed in the morning.
Your muscles are unusually sore
Muscle soreness is very normal if you do exercises regularly, but when the pain refuses to leave your body ever after 72-hours of a work out session, it’s evidence that you’re pushing yourself too much at the gym.
By Nikita Mukherjee
Muscle soreness is very normal if you do exercises regularly, but when the pain refuses to leave your body ever after 72-hours of a work out session, it’s evidence that you’re pushing yourself too much at the gym.
By Nikita Mukherjee
