Exercising Too Hard. It's A Thing!

Exercising Too Hard. It's A Thing

I really worked out hard this spring and summer. I was hiking, running and lifting weights most days of the week except for when I was injured. I was also spending much of my time in pain from sore muscles and tendons. I finally came to the conclusion that I was doing something wrong.

The last straw driving me to the conclusion that I was doing something wrong took place a week or so ago. I had been lifting for several weeks and felt strong and was gradually increasing weight, repetitions and sets. That day I hiked and increased my weight and reps and sets. It felt like a great workout at the time. The next day was my trail run day. I noticed early in the run that my legs felt really tight, which was unusual, but I kept going and completed the run. The day after that and for almost a week I was in so much muscle pain that I ended up in bed for part of the time because it hurt so much it made me sick and depressed. This is not what exercise is supposed to do for you.  

I did some research and came to the conclusion that I have been working out harder than my body can handle. I believe I have adrenal fatigue brought about by too hard and too much exercising. I need to rebound from this before moving forward. My plan is to do a slow two mile hike each morning followed by 30 minutes of gentle yoga in the afternoon. Both of these things should give me a decent workout but not unduly stress my body. I will also take a day off each week and will reassess where I am in a few weeks.

If these changes produce results, I will carry them forward into my fall routine. I usually change my exercise regimen with each season for several reasons. One is to keep my body surprised and working hard. Two, it is necessary where I live because of our changing weather. And three, I get bored doing the same thing all the time so this makes exercising more interesting.

That's it for this week!

Peace!