FEARLESS FITNESS WEEKLY UPDATE 5/2: Less Is More.

OUR NEXT FEARLESS FITNESS WORKOUT IS MONDAY May 10th AT 7:15PM!! We will meet OUTSIDE the Lululemon Athletica Grant Avenue store this month. Bring a layer or two and prepare for an OUTDOOR circuit workout to challenge you. Would love to see a great turnout for this fun, fearless workout. Email me if you have any questions and cant wait to see you on the 10th for our monthly workout date! Until then….

Lululemon Atletica GRANT AVE Store Events this week:

*** Run Club Thursday nights 6pm. 5K and 10K routes around the city with your favorite friends from Lululemon!

*** Sunday Morning Pilates With United Pilates Collective! Please join us in our store for a complimentary pilates class with United Pilates Collective instructors. The classes will be geared towards all-levels. We have extra mats if you don’t have one! Class begins at 9:30 am. Hope to see you there!

2. FEARLESS FITNESS TIP OF THE WEEK: Less Is More.

We have all heard the motto, “No pain, no gain.” Well, more is not always better. Training can be rewarding and exhilarating, but over-training can be draining and taxing on the mind and body. We all believe that the increased effort and time we put into training creates for better results. Whether you are training for a competition or just enthusiastic about your “fearless fitness new years” resolution, check out some signs and symptoms below that your gung ho training methods might need a little adjusting.

Here are a few signs of over-training:

1. Decreased performance. Have you ever gone out for a run and your legs feel like lead? This is a sign that your body hasn’t recovered from your last workout, and usually the first sign of over-training.

2. Increased heart rate. If you feel like your heart is pounding before you have had your morning coffee, and it is racing as you go up the stairs, then its a sign you might need to pull back on training.

3. Depressed immune system. When our body is broken down from over-training, it is much easier to catch a simple cold that will throw off your routine.

4. Heavy legs and sore, achy muscles, or prolonged “nagging” injuries. This is a huge sign of over-training and could be the precursor to a more serious training injuries. I like to tell my clients to “listen to your body.” If it is feeling as tired and lethargic, then your form will be compromised while working out and this can lead to injuries. If you have nagging aches, pains, and injuries that just don’t go away – your body is telling you to BACK OFF and take some rest days. Workouts should bring POSITIVE things – NOT sidelining injuries!

5. Increased perceived exertion. If everything feels as though it requires more effort, then pull back and lessen the load. Other characteristics are insomnia, moodiness, and lack of enthusiasm. You should be excited to go on your weekday run – NOT dreading it!

There are several other symptoms to signal an “overindulgence” in exercise. If you think you may be on the path to burnout it’s important to stop yourself from overworking before it hurts you. Unfortunately, I am no stranger to over-training. My LOVE of movement is a wonderful thing and I enjoy discovering new challenges. But it is often challenging for me to to quell my enthusiasm and take a break from exercise. I’ve had more issues with too much than not enough. Each experience has taught me valuable lessons on how to identify and prevent over-training. It has allowed me to find ways to create a better “body balance” for me. Below are a few tips on how I’ve learned to “work smarter – not harder” and helpful ways to prevent over-training from ruining your fearless fitness exercise routine.

3. FEARLESS FITNESS CHALLENGE of the week: Work Smarter NOT harder.

This week sit down and look at your typical training routine. What does a weekly workout schedule look like for you? Do your workouts leave you feeling invigorated and excited to do them again? Or are you left more exhausted and burnt out than when you began? Here are some ways to make sure your training always leaves you wanting more 🙂

1. Make Sure your Training Plan Includes REST DAYS. Remember it takes 24-48 hours for a muscle to repair and restore itself to become stronger and leaner. Recovery days are IMPORTANT for any training program and will help your body gain benefits from your training.

2. Support your active lifestyle with proper nutrition and hydration. With the proper fuel you’ll be able to find more out of your fitness 🙂

3. Cross-training is key. If your body is overworked, then cross-training or mixing it up can give your body a workout without the stress of overworking the same muscles every day. For example, if you are training for a marathon or road race, take a few days on the spin bike, in the yoga studio, or spend some time in the pool. This will help you prevent injuries and mental or physical burnout.

4. Create a training log. Jot down your daily activities every day. Write down how you feel after training on a scale of 1-10. For example, do you feel tired, invigorated, excited to do it again or burnt out? Aim to create a workout schedule that keeps you happy, healthy, and feelin’ good!

This week I want you to find ways to train SMARTER – not HARDER. Remember, training is about working with your body at the state it is in today. Every day is a little different – Listen to your body – it will tell you what to do. Follow its advice.

If you have any questions on training, cross training, or fitness, please feel free to email me. Would love to have some of you come to class for a cross training workout or two. I am always here to support you in finding your happiest and healthiest self. Please feel free to share your goals with me – I’ll be here to CHEER you on 🙂 Looking forward to our next workout and all the fearless fitness fun in-between!

Enjoy the sunshine this week and I will see you soon!

Caroline

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