Don’t Let Your Exercise Routine Burn You Out

More exercise isn’t necessarily better, and too much may stop you in your tracks. Avoiding injuries will keep you going. Here’s how to take good care of yourself.

Exercise is good for you. You get stronger and improve your energy and endurance. You feel better, while reducing your risk of disease. Exercise helps you sleep. It may even help your mood, self-esteem, and sex life. 

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Year after year, people all over the world say that better health is their top New Year’s goal and set resolutions to eat healthier, lose weight, and exercise.

In a one poll of more than 1,000 U.S. adults, for example, 39 percent cited fitness as their top goal, just ahead of weight loss and a better diet, while 45 percent wanted better mental health.

In a smaller poll, 52 percent of people cited exercising more as their top goal.

The problem is that many people quit their resolutions within weeks. In most surveys, only about 10 percent report that they made progress towards their goals.

Be realistic about your goals

Think about your personality and the motivational strategies that have helped you in school or work.

Be honest. Do you perform better when you are accountable to someone else? Does it help to create a firm structure? That’s just one approach. Some people revel and succeed when they stay loose and forgiving.

It’s also important avoid pushing too hard, setting yourself up for failure. Many people want to see results too quickly, find their regimen too difficult, and quit.  

The following tips may sound like common sense. Just be sure to think about this advice before dismissing it.  

Start slowly

Take small steps. Even if you once jogged 10 miles a day, be realistic about what you can safely do now if you dropped jogging entirely for any length of time.

Start with half a mile a day and build up. You might try a mile when it feels easy, then two. Back off if you find yourself feeling worse.

Buddy up

If you’re a sociable person — or less so, but you don’t have enough social time built into your day — find activities like gym classes you can do with others. If you’d rather exercise alone, you could still offer to drive a neighbor regularly to the park or gym. You’ll then be committed to a schedule.

Build in rewards

Your workouts should be pleasurable — if not immediately, then soon. Especially in the beginning, reward yourself with healthy pleasures when you meet a milestone. After lifting weights three times a week for a month, get a pedicure or buy a new workout outfit that makes you feel great.

Double up on your goals

You might wish you were listening to the podcasts or audiobooks your daughter sends you. If you can multitask, you might feel more motivated.

You can also make exercise time your moment to indulge in upbeat music or a funny podcast. You might begin listening while you’re on a bus or in your car so you’re already upbeat when you start your workout.   

Be proud of yourself

Does it annoy you when other people post photos online of themselves after hiking to the top of a mountain? If you’re working on your fitness, you may no longer mind their boasting.

If you really hate boasting, consider sharing your goals and progress only with people who are fit or also sharing their progress with you.

Stay with your routine

Most people can exercise without changing their entire day. Think about what’s easy. You can use small weights and resistance bands while watching TV. Stand on one leg when you brush your teeth. Jog in place as your microwave heats dinner.

Be patient

If you’re the type of person who doesn’t respond well to structure or scolding, don’t bully yourself. It’s okay to miss a day.

Be on guard for signs of burnout. Let’s say you’re spending an hour or more a day on cardio and eat unusually well. If you’re overdoing it, you could increase your stress level and end up holding onto fat.

Try sticking to higher intensity workouts of no more than a half hour. Your body burns fat when you rest and fully recover.

If you’re sore after exercising, try a massage and add sessions of stretching or using a roller. Don’t just push on.

Other signs of workout burnout include:

• A drop in performance
• Less interest in exercise
• Mood changes
• Slower recovery time
• An elevated resting heart rate
• Persistent fatigue
• Trouble sleeping
• A drop in appetite 

For beginners, personal trainer Shannon Clark offers some good approaches.

Vary the intensity of your workout. She suggests aiming for only one or two intense workouts a week.  

Mix serious exercise sessions with play, which includes any activity that doesn’t constitute a formal workout in your mind. Kick a football, play catch, or go swimming at the beach. 

Perhaps most importantly, pay attention to your body because it will tell you what you need to know and when to slow down. 

“Many beginners haven’t mastered the skill of tuning into themselves and adjusting their workout accordingly. There are times when pushing your body through some moderate fatigue is a wise move,” Clark notes. “Then there are times when pushing is only going to land you injured, overly fatigued, and on a downward spiral to burnout.”

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