Getting the Message
So how do you know when you should take a break,
and how long it should last? Ideally, your training plan
should include a formal periodization schedule that calls
for “light” periods and days of rest (see “Chart a Course
to Fitness” in the December 2007 archives at experience
lifemag.com). But even then, particularly if life throws
you for a loop, there may be times when you find that the
plan simply isn’t panning out.
In those cases, it helps to be able to recognize your
body’s warning signals. Here are some of the most common
indicators that suggest you need to take a step back, along
with strategies for when and how to step it up again.
Symptom No. 1
You’re feeling tired,
strung out and crabby.
What your body is trying to tell you: It may be maxed
out. Generally, exercise should make you feel better, not
worse. But when you’re clocking 80-hour weeks or planning your wedding, intense exercise can become one
more stressor in your already-stressed-out life. It can also
further destabilize your body’s levels of amino acids and
neurotransmitters. A lot of busy people find time to exercise by cutting back on sleep, but it’s during sleep that
your body repairs and restores itself.
What to do: Focus on quality rather than quantity. Instead
of training six days a week, switch to an every-other-day
schedule, suggests Talbott. Sleep in on your days off. “The
rest and recuperation will reduce cortisol levels,” says
Talbott. “It’s better to have three good workouts during
the week than to have five or six so-so workouts.”
How to come back: Once you’ve completed that merger
or said your wedding vows, go ahead and add additional
training days to your schedule. Just make sure to continue
to get your seven to eight hours of sleep.
Symptom No. 2
You’re sick — again.
What your body is trying to tell you: If you’re getting
sick a lot, it’s a sign that your immune system is struggling
and that it may need more attention than your workouts
for a while. Regular (moderate) exercise usually boosts
immunity, but intense sessions, particularly those that last
two hours or more, can lower it — especially if you don’t
rest adequately between sessions or you aren’t getting
adequate nutrients.
What to do: Take stock of your illness. It’s OK to continue
to exercise through a cold, as long as you lower the intensity and duration. Go at a slower pace and hold yourself
to just 30 or 40 minutes, max. Don’t overload congested
or infection-weakened lungs, though. As a rule, if your
symptoms are below the neck — or you have a fever, are
vomiting or have diarrhea — stay in bed. Exercising with
a fever will raise your body temperature even more, putting undue stress on your immune system and allowing the
infection to flourish.
How to come back: The effects of flu or other illness
may linger long after your fever subsides. During your
first week back, train at no more than three-quarters of
your normal intensity and duration, says Talbott. After a
week, if you feel energetic during and after your workouts,
resume your normal training load. During longer sessions,
consume some carbohydrate in the form of a sports drink,
energy bar or energy gel. Research suggests that regularly
ingesting carbohydrate during endurance training can bolster immunity by stabilizing blood-sugar levels.
In one study, conducted at Appalachian State
University in Boone, N.C., and published in the Journal
of Sports Science (January 2004), marathon runners and
triathletes who consumed a carbohydrate beverage during their race had improved blood-sugar levels, stress-hormone levels and immunity after the race compared
with athletes who did not consume the drink. For exercise
sessions lasting an hour or longer, consume between 30
and 60 grams of carbohydrate (the amount in either one or
two energy gel packs) for every hour of exercise.
Symptom No. 3
You’ve hit a
stubborn plateau.
What your body is trying to tell you: After six to nine
months on any exercise program, everyone hits a plateau.
In many cases, this indicates the body needs a new challenge. But in some cases, it’s a sign that you’re pushing
too far, too fast, and not giving your body’s repair systems
a chance to keep up. Remember also that your maximum
muscle size and metabolism are both partly genetically
determined. Trying to overcome genetics by cranking up
the intensity and duration of your workouts can backfire
by suppressing immunity, which in turn suppresses your
metabolism, according to Talbott. High cortisol levels also
increase appetite, which may interfere with weight loss.
