Although exercise is a great way to take care of your body and strengthen both your muscles and the organs of your body, it is possible for you to be working out too much and wearing your body out. While this is a rare thing to happen consistently, many people push themselves too hard at certain points in their training. When this happens, you can be doing more harm than good to your body, causing injuries that weren’t necessary. So to see if this is a situation that you’re currently in, here are three signs that you need to cut back on your exercise regimen.
You Have Chest Pain
While it’s normal to feel your heartbeat quicken or to feel a little short of breath as you’re working out, what’s not normal is to have chest pain either during or after a grueling workout session. According to Anna Medaris Miller, a contributor to U.S. News and World Report, having chest pain while you’re working out can be an indication that you’re having massive heart problems. If this pain persists, it could be a sign of a heart attack. While having a heart attack while actively working out is rare, it can happen. So if you feel pain in your chest during exercise, stop working out and call for an ambulance.
Your Joints Are Too Stiff
Working specific muscles groups can cause those muscles to get sore as they break down and build back up again. However, having pain or stiffness in your joints is another story. According to Dr. Aaron Baggish, a contributor to Harvard Health Publishing and Harvard Medical School, having pain in just one specific joint could be a sign that there’s something wrong with that joint, more than just your average wear and tear from working out. If this problem persists and the joint doesn’t feel better after brief stretching or movement, give it a rest and consider seeing a doctor to assess this potential problem area.
You’re Feeling Lethargic
While working out can make you feel tired right after you’ve been pushing your body hard, in general you should feel like you have more energy throughout your day when you have a good exercise regimen. So if you’re feeling lethargic and just drained, Amy Schlinger, a contributor to Health.com, shares that this could be a sign that you’re pushing your body past its limits. This type of fatigue normally requires you to take some real time off from working out, like a week or so. During this time, reevaluate if the type of exercise and the consistency of them is something you can actually sustain. You might come to realize that you’ve been pushing yourself harder than your body can maintain.
If you notice any of the signs mentioned above, consider if you need to cut back on your exercise routine for a while to get your health back on track.
Originally posted on August 20, 2018 @ 8:34 am