It’s that time of year, when people start planning their workout routine to accommodate extra caloric intake over the holidays; when thinking shifts from moderate exercise to overkill. But what if we told you that putting more effort into your workouts could actually be sabotaging your weight loss plan?
It’s true.
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Extra effort in the gym can cause something called adrenal fatigue, which includes symptoms like exhaustion,digestive problems, body aches, restless sleep, and lightheadedness.
Personal trainer Liz Letchford, MS, ATC tells POPSUGAR that putting your body through more strenuous exercise is not the way to go:
Exercising at a high intensity for an extended period of time, especially in addition to the stress of work, life, relationships, and body image, can throw you into adrenal fatigue.
She says the body can only respond so much to the “fight or flight” mode of exercise, “especially high-intensity, long-duration exercise. This throws your hormones out of balance, causing fatigue, poor performance, fogginess, and weight gain, especially around your middle.”
In other words weight gain, which happens when you throw your hormones out of whack.
Her advice? “Stick to long duration/low intensity, or short duration/high intensity.” Enough of the high intensity/long-ass workouts.
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And you can forget about trying to get in multiple workouts a day, she tells POPSUGAR.
Stay away from two-a-days as part of your normal workout regimen, and take those rest days. Your body needs it to recover from all of the breaking down that has been happening during workouts.
Letchford says if you do end up overworking yourself, you can readjust yourself with intensity/duration reduction and proper nutrition. But, guys, you’re body is better off not sweating the holidays all together. Go about your normal workout routine and relax a little. That’s what this time of year is ultimately all about: peace, remember?
