How to Avoid a Workout Burnout

Regular exercise is the key to good health, but the body can only take so much. There comes a point where the physical and mental stress can trigger a range of symptoms such as fatigue and soreness, along with exhaustion and poor performance.

We've always known that when it comes to burning fat and building muscle, exercise is what gets the job done. However, with such an important workout goal, you should also know how to avoid training burnout. Exercising should and must be enjoyable for you so you can keep doing it without having to force yourself.

It is also important to note that a burnout is different from a dip in motivation. Burnout is the result of a lack of proper recovery and can prevent you from getting the desired results when you exercise regularly. But of course, there are ways on how you can avoid this.

So if you're looking for ways to prevent exercise burnouts and make getting fit even easier, we may have the insight you need.

Go easy and go slow

The most important thing to consider when it comes to avoiding exercise burnout is how you deal with yourself. We are always our own worst critics. On the days when you don't feel like getting up and working out, your first instinct would probably be to start overwhelming yourself with negative thoughts.

And that is why it’s important to distance yourself from thoughts like these. They don’t help you. They’re certainly not encouraging you to achieve your fitness goals. What you should do is try to talk to yourself like you would a friend. Talk to yourself with more positivity and words of encouragement.  Pushing yourself past your comfort zone is the first step to building a healthy lifestyle. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t ever cut yourself a little slack. 

 The main reason why people burn out is that they're always pushing themselves too hard and never taking a break. If you've been working out for a long time, you may feel like you need to do more or lift heavier in order to see results. But when we push ourselves too hard and then skip a workout, our bodies get confused and hurt worse than if we had rested properly beforehand. So be sure to take it slowly but surely.

Split your workouts wisely

Experts suggest that the best way to avoid workout burnout is to schedule your workouts in a way that prioritizes recovery. 

For optimal results, train a muscle group only twice a week and rest those muscles for at least two days before you train them again. This can be done by utilizing muscle splits. For example, focus on your pull muscles (like back, hamstrings, and biceps) twice a week and then work on your push muscles, such as chest, quads, shoulders, and triceps, on different days. 

Make time for recovery

Taking time off from exercise is a good idea if you're feeling burnt out.  Just as your body needs time to recover from exercise, your mind needs some relaxation too. Aim for 1-2 rest days each week to prevent exercise feeling like a burden. This is especially important after days of intense training. Indulge in activities that help you relax; this will serve as your mental escape from the ongoing commitment of training.

If you're feeling fatigued, take some time away from running or cycling and do something else that makes you feel good—play with your pet, go out with friends, or just sit in the sunshine reading a book. 

Fuel your body

Although a proper recovery can help you avoid getting stressed over your workouts, eating healthy and staying well-hydrated is important in order to beat workout burnout. If you aren't refueling your body enough after working out, your body will be overstressed.

This can lead to a less effective workout routine, in the long run, resulting in a full-blown exercise burnout. In addition, getting seven to eight hours of restful sleep is equally important for post-workout recovery. This is because deep sleep stimulates the production of hormones responsible for facilitating bone building, fat burning, and muscle growth and repair. So remember to work out, eat, sleep, and repeat!

Pay attention to your body cues 

Next up, you have to listen to what your body is telling you. If you don’t pay attention to your body when it tells you that something hurts, not only will you risk burning out, you also risk serious injury.  If it causes pain, stop doing it. There’s a difference between the burn of a really good exercise and the pain of over-exerting yourself. Find the time to listen to your body because remember, it can only take so much. Don’t push yourself too hard. Know when to stop and when to continue. 

 

A lot of people are still struggling to know how they can fully get to know their bodies. But with Garmin's latest technology of 24/7 health monitoring and body battery, anyone can know how well their bodies are doing and how far they can push themselves. 

With a flick of the wrist or a double-tap on the display of the Vivomove Sport, it will reveal your stats, notifications, timers, and other widgets for Garmin-specific fitness features. 

The smartwatch offers a statement look as well as a good reminder to help you stay in the loop without major distractions. You can set timers, start breathing sessions, log hydration, and view health metrics like heart rate and stress.

 It has an optical heart rate and SpO2 sensors and can provide abnormal heart rate alerts. It’s also capable of measuring your respiration rate, fitness age, stress, and blood oxygen levels — both in the form of continuous measurement during sleep. 

A body battery feature is also included, which measures a combination of your sleep quality, exercise, stress, and heart rate variability to determine whether or not you should push it or take it easy. 

With the Vivomove Sport, you can redefine your workouts and help yourself to experience the best in working out. After all, knowing your body is one of the most important things to note in order for you to get the best results. Pushing forward confidently with every second, you can motivate yourself to work on a better you and a better health. 

Being health conscious starts with gathering scientific data each second and the Vivomove Sport offers you numerous features to track your health progress by the minute. So time to get up and get moving. Achieve all your goals with the Vivomove Sport, and together, let’s redefine your life with great health and wellness!