Overexertion during workout: 5 key signs to know; tips to avoid

Overexertion is when you push yourself too hard physically to do something. It is one of the most common causes of accidental injuries in gyms. As per WebMD, overexertion causes inflammation leading to pain and discomfort and if not taken care of at an early stage it may lead to permanent tearing of muscles, tendons and ligaments.

In the gym, overexertion is usually due to lifting heavy weights inappropriately, or lifting too much weight, or unusually high physical activity in a short time, or due to incorrect posture and technique.

As per Dr Manthan Mehta, Program Head (Hypertension and CV), Fitterfly, the following are the indications one should stop the workout:

Stop working out if you become overly fatigued or short of breath

Stop the activity if you develop a rapid or irregular heartbeat or have heart palpitations. Check your pulse after you have rested for 15 minutes. If it's above 120 beats per minute at rest, call your doctor.

If you experience pain, please don't ignore it. If you have chest pain or pain anywhere else in the body, do not allow the activity to continue.

If you are sweating more than usual and feeling uneasy, dizzy, or light-headed, stop working out immediately.

To youngsters particularly, the expert says in a clear message that, "Youngsters should refrain from the concept of a perfect body and focus on exercise as a means to stay healthy. They should refrain from peer pressure on who can lift more weights or who developed a six-pack faster. No two bodies are the same and this needs to be acknowledged."

As per the expert, in order to avoid overexertion, warm up before doing any physical activity, take frequent breaks in between, take sufficient rest after repetitive or strenuous activities, learn the proper technique for the exercise you’re doing, heavy activities should be done under supervision.

Stressing on the importance of rest, Dr Mehta says, try to include at least 1 day of rest per week in your fitness routine and add that don’t try to do too much too soon with physical activity. Slowly increase your activity duration, intensity, and frequency.

Gym workout comes with its own set of rules and regulations. As much as it is important to execute the workout properly, it is vital to follow the disciplinary rules in the gym.

In order to bring the best out of your workouts, here are several dos and don'ts associated with gyms which you need to know during workout:

Do not exercise on an empty stomach. Eat properly before going to the gym. By eating properly it means eat a balanced diet and have seasonal foods before starting the workout.

It will not drain the body out of energy and will keep on supplying the right amount of it to fuel the muscles and keep the body going.

Just like you catch the glimpse of a movie in the trailer, your body makes itself ready for the workout session during the warm up.

Warm up prepares the body to endure the workouts and exercises. Slow and gentle movements will activate the inner energy of the body and will help you perform exercises with ease.

Contrary to what many people do in the gym, do not plug in your earphone or headphone during workout. While on one hand earphones can distract you from the workout on the other hand it might slow you or can cause overexertion depending on the beats and groove of the music you are listening to.

Hence it is advisable to keep your music system off and unplug your earphones during workout.

Do not dehydrate yourself. Keep your hydration level at optimum level. Dehydration causes major health issues as during workout the body loses lots of water. As per health experts, the body requires at least 250 ml of water for every 20 minutes if one is doing heavy workouts.

Don't push yourself too hard. Workout is a continuous process and is progressive in nature. Only a day's hard effort might disturb your body and cause huge wear and tear in the muscles which subsequently might take lots of time to heal.

Take small steps when doing workout and remain consistent. Celebrities work hard regularly to look in the perfect shape.

Do not attempt anything without any supervision. Always inform your supervisor about your training and the type of exercise you are doing.

There can be times when you might have a certain liking for a particular celebrity and want to follow their workout. However, you should know that workout forms vary from individual to individual. Hence it is important to take expert advice while doing it.