We all have different goals when it comes to our health and fitness. Ultimately though, a common goal of fitness training is to improve your fitness level, enhance your body composition, and boost your overall health. This can take a tremendous amount of hard work, stress, and overload to change your body. While doing this though you shouldn’t feel constantly sore or have chronic, low-grade injuries. When you work the same muscles repeatedly in the same way, you’re at higher risk for overuse injury.
If this sounds like you, step back and take a closer look at your workout. Be fully honest with yourself by asking yourself a few questions.
Are you changing up the muscles you focus on during your workouts?
Are you varying the types of exercise you’re doing?
Are you giving yourself enough recovery time between workouts?
Are you tired, feeling low energy or fatigued?
Whatever your fitness goals are, it is always important to rest in order for recovery to happen. During those rest days, use that time to plan your workout strategy. If you do an intense workout one day, like HIIT, Crossfit, Spinning, Kickboxing, etc, do a less intense form of exercise, like yoga, pilates, take a swim, or go for a hike the next day.
In terms of weight training, make sure you’re not working the same muscle groups within 48 hours of one another. Your muscles need a good 48 hours to recover before you put them under stress again. Also, try alternating high-intensity strength training with muscle endurance workouts by using lighter weights at higher repetitions.
Periodizing your weight training workouts can also help you avoid overtraining and overuse injuries. Having a plan is extremely helpful when it comes to achieving your results as soon as possible while taking the proper precautions to make sure your body recovers and is healthy.
