Recognize and Avoid the Dangers of Overtraining

Overtraining is when a person exercises at a high intensity level, for a long duration, and above an average frequency. Working out to much, for too long can prevent your muscles from making a full recovery and add stress to your body. To improve your fitness level in a safe and healthy way you must learn to maintain a balance in the amount of time you work out and the amount of time you give your body to rest.

Suffering from injuries due to overtraining can not only happen to athletes and regular gym goers. Anyone has the ability to overdo it at the gym. Overtraining is also more than just a onetime intense workout. You may recognize overtraining by its pattern that consists of an imbalance split between the amounts of time one exercises to the amount of time one rests. The biggest signs of overtraining are sprained ankles or knees, while other include chronic joint pain, frequent illness, excess weight loss, fatigue, etc.

In addition to physical side effects, overtraining may also have mental and psychological effects probably due to loss of sleep and appetite. Signs overtraining may be effecting you mentally include depression, anxiety, and lost enthusiasm.

How to Avoid the Dangers of Overtraining

- Do not increase the intensity of your workout more than ten percent once a week.

- Make sure you are setting aside full days to rest. You should not be performing your workout routine more than five days a week.

- Alternate your workout days. You should not lift weight and workout with resistance training on the same day. This is because your muscles need to recover after weight training, and if you do not give them a day to rest you risk overdoing it.

- Consult your exclusive fitness gym personal trainer! At Sitaras Fitness, we put our client's needs first and make it our job to help you reach your fitness goals without putting unnecessary strain on your body!

The Connection between Exercise and Sleep

Do you often use the excuse that you are too tired to exercise? If so, chances are you need to improve your sleeping habits. Most of us already know exercise can improve our cardiovascular health, strengthen our bones and muscles, and relive muscle tension. However, the time of day we choose to exercise and the activity, can also have a major effect on the amount of Z's you catch per night.

Exercising Before Bed – Is the worst time you could perform your workout routine. It is actually a common misunderstanding that working out 2-3 hours before you hit the sack will make you sleepy. The truth is when you put in a vigorous workout you get your heart pumping that will cause your body temperature to rise and make it more difficult for you to fall asleep at night.

Exercising in the Morning –Working out in the early morning will help start your body for the day and reinforce your sleep/wake cycle. Exercising and staying fit are known to improve our mood, and so is natural light. Getting outside during your morning routine when the air is crisp and the sun is new, will boost those mood lifting benefits!

Exercising in the late afternoon/early evening – This is the time of day when we have the opportunity to maximize our sleep the most by performing our exercise routine. Late afternoon/early evening is the ideal time to exercise, because it is raises your body temperature for a few hours pre-bedtime, so that when you are ready to fall asleep your body temperature should start to drop, which will allow you to ease into a deep sleep.

Consult your personal trainer at our exclusive fitness gym for more tips and information on how getting the proper amount of sleep every night can affect your workout routine and results!

Exclusive Personal Training when Recovering from an Injury

Getting back into your workout routine after an injury or surgery can be a slow process. However with the help from exclusive personal trainers, like the ones at Sitaras Fitness, we can aid you in making a full recovery from an injury and get you back to your regular workout routine. If your injuries are not properly taken care of, or you ignore your doctor’s advice, you risk sustaining even worse injuries.

After suffering from an injury or surgery you must consult your doctor concerning your recovery process. Most doctors will recommend 6 -16 weeks out of the gym. During this time you should be constantly resting, icing, compressing, and elevating the injured area. During this time you may not be able to consult your personal trainer about your physical workout routine, you may ask him or her about your diet. Even though you cannot actively participate in physical activities, while you are recovering you can practice healthy diet and eating habits.

After your doctor gives his or her approval to get back to the gym, your exclusive personal trainer will start you off slowly to build up your tissues and joints. This part of your training could last up to three months. It will go slowly, but it is important not to rush your training so you do not re-injure yourself. Your personal trainer will evaluate your progress and determine when you can move onto more difficult routines. When you start getting back to normal your trainer will show you how to continue to build tissue, focus on your core, and prevent any injuries.