Ever felt like you're spinning your wheels in the gym, going all out but not seeing the results you want? You might be falling into the trap of overtraining, a common pitfall in the quest for fitness. Join me, Courtney, your personal trainer and movement specialist, as we unpack why 'no pain, no gain' isn't always the best mantra. We'll delve into the science behind overexertion and how it leads to cortisol overload, causing fatigue, soreness and a plateau in your fitness progress. In this episode, we'll be pioneering a new path to fitness, one that respects our bodies’ need for balance and relaxation.
As we debunk the myth of 'more is always better', we'll explore alternative fitness strategies that blend intensity with relaxation. We'll talk about the magic of yoga, Pilates, and no-jumping strength classes that focus on holistic wellness rather than just brute strength. We'll discuss how movement in your daily life can contribute significantly to your overall health. The traditional fitness mindset is challenged as we embrace a gentler, more sustainable approach to health and fitness. So, buckle up and prepare for a paradigm shift - this episode might just change the way you approach your workouts forever!
Welcome to Moving Through Midlife. I am your host, courtney, a personal trainer and movement specialist who wants to help you move through midlife with more grace. Each week we will discuss ways we can show up better for ourselves and our children without the burnout. We will focus on overall health through habit stacking to help increase energy, provide movement snacks to help you move more throughout the day, while also moving your body more, and learn from professionals on moving through midlife with ease so that you can feel confident with aging. Gracefully, grab your earbuds and join me on a leisurely walk. While we discuss moving through midlife Today, I want to ask you could you be overdoing it Now? For those of you who are just working on getting started, this one isn't for you because we want to get you up and moving. This is for those of you who have been working out and maybe at one point you started seeing results and then you've hit a wall. Or you are wanting to get in air quotes the best shape of my life. So I'm going to double down and I'm going to do two workouts in a day, or I'm thinking I don't want to call out any specific programs, so I'm not going to do that, or you're doing four in five days a week of a workout and it's not one that has been programmed to be like, say, upper body one day, lower body the other, or programs like that I offer my clients, where, yes, we do a hit, but then we also do strength and we do yoga and we do core, where it's balanced, like a balanced program. I'm thinking in the way of for those of you that might be overdoing it, maybe you're doing a high intensity interval program three and four days a week. Or you're doing like spin type because that would be considered hit Spin classes four days a week. Or these intense boot camps four and five days a week, right, these where you're just really pushing hard and each day you're just thinking I've got to do 10 more, I've got to do 10 more, and you're challenging yourself and just kind of hitting a wall.
Speaker 1:
You may notice that you're experiencing constant fatigue and soreness and your workouts you're becoming. You feel like you're no longer seeing results. So now I've got to up it, I've got to up the time, I've got to up the days, I've got to up the intensity, whatever that is. I've got to do the twos, you know, the two days or, I'm sorry, the two times in a day, those types of things, and you're not seeing the results. You've hit a wall and things aren't, you know, moving anymore. This, these, all of these things are signs of you overdoing it.
Speaker 1:
We've been taught in the industry, in the fitness industry, that we need to go hard or go home. I hear that so often or this isn't, this isn't sweat, it's fat crying. And, although it's funny, yes, we have created this mindset like the no pain, no gain, this mindset of we have to push harder, we've got to max out, we've got to do this and, yes, there are times when that is good. The problem is is we have become this society where we think that, um, oh, if it was good one day, then it's good all seven days. And I'm here to ask you to maybe take a different approach. If you're not seeing what you want to see right now, if things aren't working the way you want them to work, could you be overdoing it? And I'm even going to speak to you.
Speaker 1:
Maybe you aren't one who is overdoing it in the gym. Maybe you are practicing a regular, say, you're coming to classes four or five days a week and, um, you have a lot of stress right now. Maybe you're switching positions with your within your job, or you're starting a side hustle, or you know you are in a career that is very intense and you're also dealing with your children Um, you know they might be into a lot of activities, so you're driving them around and you're also trying to get a healthy dinner on the table and you've got this, this stress, this constant little stress that you might be dealing with as well. What's happening is you have created, um, probably kind of like a cortisol overload. Your body is over stressed at this point If you're not seeing results anymore and you're overdoing it.
Speaker 1:
Our body produces cortisol when we work out and that's a great thing, um, and definitely necessary for what we're doing at the time. The problem becomes when we are constantly dealing with that cortisol response. So, um, and I don't want to get into there's so much I want to tell you all Um, so I'm not going to get into where you might have like adrenal fatigue, but most specifically, just are you overworking out? Are you overworking and you are, um, you're getting that cortisol response from your workouts and you're dealing with this low grade cortisol being pumped out all throughout the day because you're dealing with these stressors that I had mentioned, the daily common stressors. So what if that's you? I'm going to ask you to take a step back and I want you to slow down. And, oh my goodness, I know it is so hard, it is so hard for you, I get it. It's okay, though, like it is okay to slow down, you may notice, by slowing down you actually speed things up. You give your body the rest it needs, because, really, the growth you want to get toned, that growth is occurring during the rest, not during the strength workout. Yes, you've got to tear it down, but that is a different time. Right, you've got to do that strength workout, but the rest is just as, if not more, important than, the workout itself. So, slow down.
Speaker 1:
One thing if you take nothing else from today, go for a walk. Go for a walk. Go for a walk every day, and it is not a time where you're trying to go faster. It is not a time where you're pumping your arms and trying to, you know, go five miles. It is a relaxing walk, an enjoyable walk that you just do. It doesn't matter how long you can do it Ten minutes up to, say, 45 minutes, whatever. Just go for a walk and cry that this week and maybe drop some of your workouts.
Speaker 1:
If you are working out a lot, drop it down instead of your five days or your four days. Drop it down to two or three days with your walks and see if the scale or the inches or whatever you are measuring, if things start to change and if it does, then my guess is you are over doing it. So I would just love for everybody to change their approach. I would love for you to change your approach. It is okay to go a little bit softer with your workouts. You don't have to beat yourself up and if you are in perimenopause 35 to 55 age range this may be what you have truly been looking for, as it tends to. Your cortisol levels are going to be higher due to the lack of progesterone in the body, so you are increasing. Your stress is increasing a little bit. You may notice that you are a little bit more on edge.
Speaker 1:
So, toning it down and relaxing and taking a softer approach, trying those yoga classes, trying those Pilates classes, trying that you know heavy strength, no jumping around class those may be where you need to be now and instead of going five days a week, try to drop it down a little bit.
Speaker 1:
So hopefully this answered questions for some of you that may be hitting a wall, not feeling like you're seeing any results, and make sure to head over to midsectionmamacom and there you can find information about our group where you can join me and let me know. Have you noticed a difference? Did you notice a difference by going a little bit softer? I hope you all have a wonderful day and make sure to go out for that walk. I hope you enjoyed this episode and found something to take away to help you practice healthier habits, move more or handle the midlife and aging with grace. If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend or leave us a review to help us reach more moms just like you. Head to movingthroughmidlifecom to join the free community or learn how you can move more and feel better in your daily life.