Exercise Burnout Is Real — Here's How to Avoid It
Dreading going to the gym lately? If you feel constantly rundown, have zero motivation to sweat or hit a fitness wall, you might be suffering from a bout of exercise burnout. Like workplace burnout, exercise burnout happens when you're consistently overextending yourself working out. So, what are the signs? Physically, you might feel weaker, have increased muscle soreness or decreased performance, says Erin Oprea , celebrity fitness trainer and author of The 4x4 Diet . That's not all, though. Mentally, you're zonked too. You might be moodier and more irritable than usual and have no interest in leaving your couch. When you're feeling emotionally drained and working with an empty energy tank, you won't release as many endorphins or reap their feel-good effects during your workouts, explains Oprea. In other words, it's a vicious cycle. Exercise burnout is a bummer, but it doesn't have to last forever. Here are ...