Are you overtraining? The warning signs you should know
Posted: December 30, 2025
Athletes are always looking to gain a competitive edge over their competition. They strive to run faster, get stronger and jump higher.
During that quest to become the best of the best, you’re pushing your body to the limits and sometimes straight into a burnout due to overtraining.
Signs of overtraining
Worsening performance
If you are training hard, but not seeing any real progress, that’s a warning sign. You may even be getting slower, weaker or less consistent. It shouldn’t be one step forward and two steps back when you are training.
Persistent muscle soreness
It’s normal to be sore after a workout. It’s not normal to be sore all the time. Chronic soreness is your body’s way of asking for a rest day.
Prone to sickness
If you’re constantly fighting the common cold or feeling run down, overtraining may be the culprit. Hard training suppresses the immune system, making you more susceptible to illnesses.
Easy days aren’t so easy
If an easy run, lift or recovery ride on the bicycle feels like an uphill climb, your body may be overloaded.
How to avoid overtraining
Be flexible
Life can get in the way of your training schedule. The stress of day-to-day activities, poor sleep, travel or sickness may impact your training schedule and ability to recover. Be adaptable and adjust your plan when your body and schedule call for it.
Listen to your body
If you start feeling small aches, they should be addressed right away with mobility and activation exercises, training modifications. You could also try symptom modifying strategies, like heat, ice, and soft tissue mobility techniques, like foam rollers, percussion tools, and self-massage. If pain lasts more than three days or gets worse, you may need to talk to a musculoskeletal specialist before it becomes a bigger issue.
Progress gradually
Be sure to increase frequency, intensity and volume in steady steps. The biggest breakthroughs in training come from consistency, not aggressive jumps.
Variety is key
Do not just do cardio workouts; be sure to mix in weights. Cross training, plyometrics, and weightlifting help build capacity in tissues for your key sport.
Prioritize recovery
Sleep, nutrition and hydration: Those are the three pillars of recovery, and training hard without them is like trying to build a house without a foundation.
Overtraining happens gradually, when stress adds up faster than your body can recover. With smart planning, recovery habits and listening to your body, you can train hard and stay healthy.
