Who would’ve thought that being a gym bunny could be bad for your health? Sure, it takes a lot of time to work out too much, and you probably don’t have any time, but it is possible that those daily workouts are a bit too much for your body. Overexerting yourself can be easier than you think.

Most athletes, whether recreational or competitive, believe that running just a little longer or lifting weights just a little heavier during the next workout will be most beneficial to their bodies and, in most of our heads, best for our jean size. Working out daily isn’t the problem, nor is it normally bad for you, but working out too hard daily is when your body cries for help.

If you’ve been pushing your heart rate to the max over the last couple of weeks, you’re doing your body more harm than good. Even & non-athletes can overtrain. The earliest symptom of this condition is fatigue, and in later stages, you may feel tension, irritability, decreased appetite, sleep problems and menstrual irregularities.

To prevent and treat overtraining, listen to your body. If you feel tired rather than more energized during or after a workout, don’t exercise harder to compensate. Instead, incorporate lighter exercise or rest into your weekly routine. Make sure your diet is balanced and you get enough sleep (we know, easier said than done) so you can prevent this condition even when you’re not at the gym.

In order to get results from exercise, pushing yourself is key. But extreme exertion is more detrimental than beneficial. So the next time you’re tired after your normal thirty minute elliptical session or third rep of squats, give your body a break.

It’s trying to tell you something, so listen up.

As I’ve said in the past, I love feeling sore the day after a workout. It’s a great indication that my body was challenged and fat was burned. Both very good things.

However, there are times when I can’t quite cope with how much pain I’m in. When it literally hurts to do anything, i.e. walk, sit, stand… laugh. Yeah, not so much fun, especially when I have to stop reading this very site out of fear of laughing so hard I cry. Literally.

So in an effort to ensure future workouts don’t completely debilitate me (or my dear friend Lauren), I’ve looked into soreness prevention and remedy.

Warm It Up:
Apparently warming up before beginning any cardio or strength training is really important. Doing so warms the muscles, increases blood flow to the muscles, and helps prepare the body and mind for strenuous activity. Most importantly, it can help reduce the chance of injury. I’ve always been one to jump right into my run and not do the whole “brisk walk” thing beforehand. I usually don’t have the patience for it. But I’m willing to try it out if it means I’ll experience less pain.

Streth It Out:
I know, that’s really asking a lot, but after the warm-up you gotta stretch it out. Stretching each muscle for 15-20 seconds before running, biking, or ellipticalling will definitely make a difference. Stretching at this time further prepares the body for what’s coming. And once you’re done, be sure to stretch afterwards too. After you’ve worked your body you muscles are at their most pliable state, so you’ll protect yourself from injury and also increase flexibility.

And if the damage is already done, i.e. you’re now walking like you have a stick up your ass, there are a variety of ways to soothe the soreness.

1. Take a bath with epsom salt. Soaking it hot water alone will increase circulation, creating a soothing-effect. Adding epsom salt will help draw any toxins out of the muscles. I’ve actually done this many times and SWEAR by it.

2. Get a massage. A massage also helps remove toxins from the body and gently stretches the muscles. I am all about this too. I think I can fall in love with anyone who gives me a massage. Anyone who hasn’t gotten one is SERIOUSLY missing out.

3. Drink cherry juice. A recent study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine discovered that drinking unsweetened cherry juice relieved exercise-induced muscle soreness. This option may be a bit too tart for me, but hey, I’ll give it a whirl.

4. Take Vitamin E. This wonder supplement acts as an antioxidant to protect cells from free radicals built up during a workout. In a a study it was shown to help reduce symptoms of muscle soreness, inflammation, and muscle weakness.

5. Drink your coffee. Popping a caffeine pill equivalent to two cups of joe has been proven to reduce muscles soreness up to 50%. A study says that caffeine works by blocking the body’s receptors for adenosine, a chemical released in response to inflammation (I hit up sciencedaily.com for that one).

There we have it. All interesting and all natural approaches to reducing that oh-so-good, yet oh-so-unforgiving post-workout muscle soreness. Wow that was a mouthful.

Definitely try these little tid bits out and share your thoughts!!

We are busy girls; there is no doubt about it. We’ve got class, and study groups, and student groups and work, and somewhere between all of that, we need to work out. And we need to get the most out of that limited time we have.

So we run to the gym, hop on the treadmill for 45 minutes, pack our things and move onto the next item on our daily agenda: the shower. We don’t have time to waste on stretching – we’ve got beer and pizza calories to burn, baby. Stretching is just an extra little thing, anyway; it’s not that important.

That’s what I used to think, but it turns out that stretching can be the most important part of a workout. Well, if you don’t want to mess up your body and do want to see more obvious results.

Stretching improves our flexibility, which is important for far more than just a few extra tricks in the bedroom. According to Body and Mind, stretching:

• Improves muscle balance around a joint, thus improving posture.
• Reduces the chance of injury when playing a sport or in every day activities.
• Increases the blood and nutrient supply to muscles and cartilage, thereby also reducing muscle soreness after training.

Every workout should end with a stretching session. For tips on how to stretch, click here. Doing stretches incorrectly will do more harm than good!

For ideas on new types of stretches to incorporate into your routine, click here.

Working out is important, but don’t forget to take care of your body in the process. And stretching is a great reward at the end of a difficult workout; why wouldn’t you want to do it!?