Raise your hand if you’ve ever had a fitness-related injury 🙋🏾♀️
Did you know that one of the major causes of fitness injuries is doing too much, too fast? Whether it’s increasing mileage too quickly or going from no workouts to 5 workouts /week, when our bodies are exposed to too much stress, it may result in burnout or injury.
Even as a coach and trainer, I’m guilty of doing this. Just last week, I planned a running route that was too much for my current fitness level but I figured since I had done this route in the past (over a year ago 🥲), I should be able to do it again. My shins are still paying for that decision…
, have you ever found yourself injured after doing too much too quickly? Maybe you felt like you could do a few more miles or you wanted to keep up with your workout partner at the gym but either way, you went from “I can do this, I feel great!” to "omg, what did I do wrong?"
Here's what went wrong. One of the principles at play is called General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS). It's broken down into three phases:
- Alarm: When a stress is introduced (ex. your workout)
- Resistance: When your body adapts to the stress
- Exhaustion: When you over-train and unwanted injuries occur. Womp, womp.
The tricky part is that in order to get better at an exercise (like lifting, running or cycling), you have to do it enough times and gradually increase your volume without triggering the exhaustion phase.
They keyword is gradually.
That means if you’re new to exercise or just getting back into a regular routine, you have to trust the process. Start by building a solid base, gradually increase intensity, and give yourself time to recover in between workouts.
Even if you have experience in your activity, show yourself the same grace you’d show a beginner. Trust me, your body will thank you for it!
