Too tired to train or workout lately?

by Dr. W. E. Kelsick B.Sc., DC, FCCSS(C), FCCRS(C)

Have you recently found yourself too tired to train or workout? Well, if you are, over-training may be one of the many reasons; other reasons could be related to; mono, the flu, hypoglycemia, low blood serum, iron levels (anemia), low energy intake or other internal pathological diseases.

However, let us focus on over-training. Whatever time of year it is, most people are over motivated to get their body in “shape” for some reason or another and, like always, some people want to achieve their goals yesterday. In my many years of treating sports injuries, this is not an unusual request. People always want the easy way out; to do little and get the most benefit. This system works well for other life situations, but not for fitness.

There are no short cuts to fitness; you either do it right or you pay the price. In my experience, most people who have a sudden urge to be fit, end up doing too much too soon. Hence multiple overuse injuries. Fitness enthusiasts tend to over-train by working their bodies beyond its capabilities at that time.

What is over-training?

Overtraining is a condition characterized by a plateau (ie. performance remains the same no matter how hard you train) or drop off in performance.

Here are some characteristics of over training which will help you identify the condition:

1. Extremes in muscles and joints soreness and stiffness.
2. Inability to complete training sessions (workouts) that normally would be completed, ie. easy exhaustion.
3. Greater susceptibility to colds, flu and other illnesses.
4. Unexplained loss in body weight.
5. Higher than normal resting heart rate.
6. Higher than normal resting blood pressure.
7. Loss of appetite.
8. Gradual loss of motivation to workout.
9. Slow cardiac recovery after training.

How can you avoid over-training?

1. Set realistic goals for yourself and not according to what your friends or spouse are doing.
2. Seek advice from sports professionals with experience in the area of training before you begin your program.
3. Always consider stress imposed on the body by the total workout program (ie. running, agility drills, plyometrics, etc.) not just endurance strength or power training.
4. Increase training intensity gradually.
5. Allow yourself adequate recovery time between workouts. General consensus is is 48 hours between workouts.
6. Ensure the intake of correct amount of calories. Do not train without proper nutrition.
7. Allow time for adequate sleep. The body needs that time to repair, recharge and rebuild tissue.

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