We might feel invincible after we’ve smashed a run before breakfast, but we are all vulnerable to burn out. It’s a common condition for new runners who go too hard too fast, older runners who push their bodies beyond the limit and anyone training too hard before a big race. How can you recognise it, and if you are burnt out, what can you do about it?
You risk injury and burnout when you push your body beyond it’s ability to repair itself. If your cortisol is too high for too long, or your muscles don’t get the chance to rest and repair, you’ll eventually collapse in a big heap – and burnout. Avoid it by:
Resting smart – Don’t force yourself into high intensity exercise day after day. Your muscles require rest to rebuild themselves. Alternate hard training with gentle movement, and schedule at least one day a week with no deliberate exercise – give your body a total break.
Getting good sleep – We’ve heard it all before but it’s true. Getting a decent amount of sleep every night (8 hours or so) will help your body heal and your mind will thank you for it, too. Running while fatigued increases stress, and your depleted concentration might cause injury.
Seeing the warning signs – If you’re diving into a brand new program or you’re building up to a race, pay attention to your body. Listen to what your close friends and family are telling you, too. Sometimes they might notice the following changes before you do. If you start to lose concentration easily, have disrupted sleep, get irritated easily, see a sudden reduction in coordination or performance or suffer lethargy, you may be approaching burnout. It’s time to get on top of it before you really start doing damage.
How to recover from burnout
If you feel like you’re about to burnout or maybe you’re already unwell, it’s time to take a break. Your body needs about a week (longer if you need it but not shorter) to recover from the overdose of cortisol and stress it’s under. Give your body good reparative nutrition, get some sleep and don’t exercise at all. Let your body rebuild and repair, and you’ll be back on track feeling better than ever.
About Enertor Advanced Technology Insoles – Enertor insoles are designed to prevent a number of common running injuries and provide more comfort. Designed by leading podiatrists to reduce your risk of injury, the unique design features support your foot throughout training. Enertor insoles are enhanced by D3O impact protection technology, which means they can provide more shock absorption than any other insole. Our expertise, combined with the patented D3O shock absorption technology, enables Enertor to deliver the most advanced injury prevention insoles on the market today.
Enertor insoles are available online HERE .
Whilst Enertor has over 18 years Orthotics experience, our blog content is provided for informational purposes only and it is not a substitute for your own doctor’s medical advice. Enertor advises anyone with an injury to seek their own medical advice – and do not make any health or medical related decisions based solely on information found on this site
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