Simple Ways to Eliminate Physical and Mental Exhaustion
By: Jamison Hill of JamisonFit.com
Anyone who spends any significant amount of time in the gym or exercising on a
consistent basis knows how easily it is to get burned out. This is basically the same
concept as getting burned out on anything you do day in and day out - your job, your
commute*, your diet, your chores, etc. When it comes to exercising, there are two
main types of burnout: physical and mental exhaustion.
* To learn how to enjoy a better commute CLICK HERE
Physical exhaustion generally pertains to the cardiovascular systems, muscles,
bones, joints or ligaments. This exhaustion sets in when one or any combination of
these become over used. Mental exhaustion when exercising occurs when one
becomes tired of repetition and extended durations. Although it can be a
spectacular occurrence when your body and mind are in sync, for the most part it is
difficult to get them on the same page. Both physical and mental exhaustion have
very distinct causes, which if properly prevented, can lead to a much healthier body
and mind.
Physical exhaustion is a burnout feeling that most likely anyone can relate to. Not
only is it a very recognizable form of exhaustion, but also it is very common. The
bright side of physical exhaustion is that if your body is resilient, it can be pushed to
its limits and recover in a relatively short time. However, repeated physical
exhaustion can break down the body's resiliency, which often leads to more severe
consequences than just soreness. Whether it's simple lactic acid build up or a more
severe injury, the best prevention is to avoid over and continuous physical exertion.
One of the best ways to prevent physical exhaustion is to pay close attention and
stay in-tune with your body. No one knows your body better than you - only you
know what feels right and what feels wrong. Another important part of paying
attention to your body is having the proper form and mechanics when performing
exercises. If your movement feels wrong or awkward when performing an exercise,
you are most likely doing something incorrectly. This is a situation where you
should seek assistance from a certified personal trainer. Just because your local
gym rat gives you advice doesn't mean it's accurate. So, trust credentials!
Possibly, the most common occurrence of physical exhaustion is caused by over
training. There is a very fine line between pushing your limits and over training.
The difference between pushing yourself and over exerting yourself can be
somewhat unrecognizable. And there is a very real difference between mental
boredom and physical fatigue. Sometimes physical exhaustion can be confused with
mental exhaustion; it becomes your job to educate yourself and stay in-tune with
your body so you know the difference between the two. A lot of this confusion has
to do with the individual's pain tolerance and attitude. If someone has a high pain
tolerance and a do-or-die attitude, then they might very well be over-training
without even knowing it. However, someone with a low tolerance for pain and/or a
lack of motivation could be shortchanging themselves and not making adequate
progress.
So how do you ensure that you are making adequate progress without over-
training? Well, there are several signs that will tell you how to adjust your workouts
accordingly. If you are consistently working out and not feeling sore the next day,
then that is a good indicator that you could push your body further. Just because
you are not sore the next day doesn't mean your workout was a complete waste - it
just means that there is room to increase intensity. If you find yourself taking long
rests between sets, say sitting on a machine or bench for more than 90 seconds, then
you should work on shortening those breaks.
A good guide for your break between sets is your heart rate; wear a heart rate
monitor and begin your next set as soon as your heart rate drops below 65% of your
max. On the other hand, if you find yourself sore for several days and the soreness is
more severe than you are used to, then this is a good indicator that you could be
over-training. If you find yourself sleepless at night, constantly battling injury, light
headed, weak while walking around with low energy, then over-training is a very
good possibility. Finally, an obvious sign of over training is illness - if you get sick
often, limit your exercise as much as possible until you recover. A good way to
correct over-training is to take a few days off from exercising and then redesign
your workout plan by either reducing intensity or by decreasing duration.
Mental exhaustion can be very different from physical exhaustion. Mental
exhaustion pertains to exercise usually caused by a repetitive, consistent workout
routine or a strict diet. Any time when someone finds themselves doing the same
workouts every week with the same exercises every day and eating the same foods,
it will get old no matter how strong the motivation is. There are several ways to
prevent or limit mental exhaustion, and believe it or not, they can be pretty simple.
One way to limit mental exhaustion is to find new and consistent motivations. This
can be done by reading articles, watching videos, chatting with other fitness enthusiasts or just adding new music to your MP3 player.
Another way to prevent this kind of exhaustion is to periodically switch up your
workout routine. Now, this doesn't necessarily mean changing every exercise in
your workout, but may be something as simple as adding one new exercise each
workout in order to help maintain focus and prevent psychological burnout. If you
find that this works well, you can even change your muscle groupings for your
workouts to keep your mind and body focused. Instead of devoting one workout to
legs, break it up into quads/glutes and hamstrings/calves over two separate days.
This can be a very effective method of keeping your mind focused and your muscles
guessing what youÕre going to put them through next.
After trying these options, if you find yourself still lacking the motivation and
experiencing increased mental exhaustion, try finding a workout partner. This can
be somewhat risky and I would be very particular about whom you choose to
exercise with. Yet, if you find someone with similar goals, dedication and work ethic
then it can be incredibly beneficial. If you are all business when it comes to
exercising (for the sake of this article I am going to assume you are) than I would
choose someone who is focused and limits their talking when working out. If you
are struggling for motivation the last thing you need is a "Chatty Cathy" workout
partner.
Finally, one of the hardest aspects of training is getting your body and mind on the
same page. Especially, when putting yourself through intense training, it is not
uncommon to feel completely different than you look or vice-versa. The best way to
correct this imbalance is to try the above methods and find which works best for
you.
If you can look good and feel good, I believe that little else will contribute to your
happiness in the same way. You will be surprised how the little things can
contribute on a much larger scale in your workouts and consequently your life.
Take the time to take care of yourself and your body will reward you by not
breaking down and your mind will reward you by staying alert and vibrant.
Remember you are only going to get as much out of your workouts as you put in.
