Overtraining can be a serious issue, particularly for younger people. But "overtraining" is a term which is often poorly defined and sometimes overused.
The basics
When you exercise, your body needs time to recover from the physical activity. If you don't give your body the time it needs to recover before doing more exercise, you can end up hurting yourself instead of improving your fitness. This is overtraining. Its effects can be both physical and emotional.
Exercising too hard, too often or for too long can cause serious injuries. It can be easily avoided by putting together - and following - a sensible training program that takes things like your age and physical abilities into account.
The CleanEdge website (new window) has been set up by Sports Medicine Australia in an effort to provide information about getting the best out of your training and the consequences of drugs in sport. CleanEdge provides children, parents and coaches the educational resources to set up a safe and effective training regime.
More is less
It can be a common misconception that the more training a person does, the better they will become. This is generally why people overtrain in the first place - because they don't really know what they're doing.
In addition to this, there are widespread ideals concerning body image and social standing that contribute to bad habits in the gym or on the track. People looking to lose a few extra kilos or bulk up a bit sometimes force themselves to work out harder than their bodies can handle in an attempt to achieve these unrealistic goals.
Fitness fanatics can even become addicted to exercise.
Exercise is one area where more does not always equal merrier. Athletes will not improve if they have worked themselves too hard - they can even experience setbacks.
Professor Geraldine Naughton, spokesperson for Sports Medicine Australia (new window), suggests that the "social reward" that comes from excessive training can be a reason for pushing too far. Professor Naughton says that young people can be particularly vulnerable to this problem.
A proper training program should always include a warm up and time to cool down. This will improve performance, reduce the risk of injury and help your body to recover from the strain of your workout. It's also important to use a range of muscle groups in order to avoid injury caused by overuse of one set of muscles.
The right approach to strength training
Strength training in younger people seems to be a contentious issue. The most current advice suggests that a supervised and knowledgeable weight training program for children and young adults is safe and beneficial. If the workout uses light weights and maintains a focus on good technique, it can improve strength and reduce the risk of injury.
Properly prescribed and properly supervised, this kind of strength training workout can be beneficial says Professor Naughton. The emphasis should always be on doing it safely and under supervision.
For more information about healthy physical training and what to do if you or someone you know has a problem with overtraining, check out the Clean Edge website (new window).
For more articles about Sport and recreation, check out our Articles archive. And for more articles about body image issues, check out our Body image section.
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