Cardio in the morning, strength training on alternate days, a jog in the evening and cycling on weekends. Are you pushing your body way too hard?

Experts are unanimous that exercise alone won’t help you lose weight. And that overtraining – or overreaching – may hamper your health and fitness goals.

Overtraining is when you perform more training than your body can recover from. If you’re caught in the overtraining trap, we tell you why you need to get out as soon as you can.

1. Resting muscles make them grow 

   Lifting weights lead to tiny tears the muscles and only rest can repair them. This process is what makes the muscles stronger than what they used to be. So work out but give your sore muscles time to recover.

2. Overtraining often means no results 

   Working out too much may you to lose muscle and gain fat. Why? Overtraining leads your body to produce inadequate amounts of testosterone and produces higher levels of cortisol. This ups insulin resistance and fat deposition, exactly what you’re trying to avoid.

3. Overreaching regularly leads to a weight-loss plateau

   Working out too hard and too often may seem to be the path to massive weight loss but it isn’t. The body’s built-in protective mechanisms come into play if you over-train and can lead to a weight-loss plateau.

4. It can lead to mood swings

   Exercise helps banish stress and depression, thanks to the release of endorphins. But too much exercise can affect you negatively by leading to a physical burnout and mood problems. The fact that you’re doing too much will make you exhausted all the time.

5. Overdoing the workout can affect your menstrual cycle

   Over-training may lead to amenorrhea, the absence of menstruation, which signals that there’s something wrong with your body. The drop in estrogen in women can also lead to premature bone loss, making you more susceptible to injury.

6. Overtraining may fuel overeating

   Exercise is directly proportional to hunger. The more you work out, the more fuel your body needs to sustain the exertion. And chances are you end up overeating. A sure-shot method to weight gain.

Exercise can make you happy and healthier. Draw up a workout schedule with built-in rest days and find a balance that works for your body and your life.