Running is a sport that makes people feel happy physically and mentally. It can not only improve our physical fitness, but also effectively reduce stress and improve our mood.
Nevertheless, excessive running may also have adverse effects on our body. If we ignore the warning signals sent by the body and continue to overtrain, it may cause damage and even affect long-term health.
Respecting the needs and limitations of the body is the wisdom that every runner should have, so as to get the most benefits from exercise.
If you have the following 3 physical reactions when running, you should reduce the amount of running in time, or even take a complete rest, don’t joke with your body.
1.Continuous fatigue
When you feel continuous fatigue, it is an important warning from the body, and everyone who loves running should be sensitive to this signal.
If you find yourself still feeling tired when you wake up on multiple mornings, or feel exhausted after completing the mileage that you could easily run before, then your body is likely to have exceeded its limit.
Long-term fatigue is not only the result of physical exhaustion, it is also the body reminding you that you need more recovery time. When we continue to push the running volume and ignore rest, the muscles cannot be fully repaired and the energy reserves cannot be restored in time, which directly leads to a gradual decline in physical fitness.
If you continue to exercise in a tired state, it will only cause a series of negative chain reactions, including performance decline, mental fatigue, and even serious physical injuries.
2.Weakened immunity
During exercise, our immune system plays a vital role. It is the first line of defense against the invasion of external pathogens and the maintenance of physical health.
Excessive running training may seriously threaten the immune system. If you find yourself starting to catch a cold frequently or are often invaded by other infectious diseases, this may be the body sending out an alarm.
Generally speaking, this symptom reflects that the immune system is in a state of fatigue due to continuous excessive exercise and cannot effectively fight external pathogens.
We must realize that a healthy immune system needs time to recover and maintain its basic functions. Excessive running training will increase the level of cortisol in the body, and long-term stress will lead to a decline in white blood cell function, which directly weakens immunity.
Therefore, when facing minor ailments such as persistent colds and coughs, you should first consider reducing the frequency and intensity of running appropriately to provide the body with sufficient rest and recovery time.
3.Frequent injuries
Long-term or persistent injuries are clear signs of over-exercise, and muscle strains, joint pain and stress fractures are more common manifestations. When runners frequently encounter these injuries during exercise, they need to carefully examine their training methods.
Excessive running not only does not improve physical performance, but also increases the burden on the body, bringing unnecessary pain and risks to oneself.
Frequent muscle strains may be caused by not giving the muscles enough recovery time during high-intensity training, resulting in the accumulation of muscle fiber damage. Joint pain is often caused by overuse, improper running posture or lack of sufficient joint support. If not paid attention to, it may develop into chronic injury, causing runners to suffer for a long time.
It is particularly worth noting that stress fractures are not only caused by tiny cracks in the bones when they are under excessive pressure, but also because these tiny injuries are difficult to heal due to insufficient rest, which may eventually lead to serious fracture problems.
In the face of such injuries, the wisest approach is to immediately reduce the frequency and intensity of running to give the body sufficient time to repair.
4.Rest is also part of training
Sufficient sleep and rest are essential for the body’s recovery and health. During sleep, the body undergoes important repair and regeneration processes to restore muscles and tissues.
Some runners believe that rest will affect their “skills”, as if their level will drop if they don’t run for a day.
Studies have shown that long-term neglect of rest may lead to more serious health consequences, including increased psychological stress, decreased attention and emotional instability.
If a large amount of training leads to a lack of rest time and deep rest, the body’s recovery ability will be suppressed, which in turn weakens the immune system and increases the risk of injury.
In addition, excessive exercise can significantly affect a person’s sleep quality. When the intensity or frequency of running exceeds the body’s tolerance, it will not only fail to play a positive role, but may also cause insomnia or frequent awakenings at night.
If you notice that running has begun to interfere with your normal sleep, then this is a clear signal-you need to stop and rest!
It is recommended to adjust the intensity or frequency of running to ensure that the body has enough time to rest and adapt. When doing high-intensity training, you can try to adopt an alternating training mode, or do different types of exercises on different days to relieve the overall stress on the body.
Rest is also part of the training plan, so as to achieve ideal health and reduce unnecessary sports injuries.
Excessive running not only damages the body, but may also affect the health of important organs.
In order to maintain long-term health, it is recommended to develop a scientific and reasonable training plan, take appropriate rest, and adjust the running volume in time.
Whether you are a beginner or an experienced runner, you should pay attention to the signals sent by the body and gradually increase the intensity of training to avoid injuries while maintaining physical fitness.
