Goldilocks zone

People are often advised “listen to your body” to guard against overtraining. But many people would retort “if I listened to my body I’d never get off the sofa!”.

Training too hard can lead to injuries and burnout. But not training enough will stop you reaching your goals. So how do you tell the difference between being too tired to train and just having a lazy day?

This is a live issue for me today – I sang in a concert at the weekend which brings great joy but which always takes it out of me. I am also having quite a stressful time in my day job which also saps my energy for training.

I really don’t feel like working out today. But should I do it anyway? Here are the checks I use – with the acronym BRICK!

B – Checking in with your body is often a good place to start. Right now my arms and legs feel strange, like they’re empty and heavy at the same time. This for me is often a sign of depleted energy reserves. However, I’m not feeling ill or dizzy so I probably could do a light workout.

R is for risk. Everyone is different and as a woman in my late 40s I am at higher risk of injury and overtraining than I was 20 years ago. I’m also coming back from an injury. Taken together, these factors make it safer for me to be a bit more cautious.

I is importance. If it’s an important event or a crucial training week in a plan, I might push a bit harder. But if there’s nothing much at stake, I can take a bit more space.

C – Another factor to consider is the context. If I’m recovering from something hard, then I give myself extra grace. If I know I have a tough week at work ahead and won’t have much chance to recover, then it’s not sensible to push too hard. If I know I have a lighter week ahead, I might push harder knowing I can recover later.

K – If I’m not getting a definite no from the other tests, the final test I use is to change into sports kit and make a start on the workout. When we’re in casual clothes at home, staying there is the default option. When we’re ready for a workout, doing it is the default option. Simply getting to the starting point can get rid of a lot of inertia. Once I’ve got going, I may start to feel better and able to complete the workout. Or on the flip side I may start and find I’m really struggling to perform well.

Crucially having gone through the tests, if it’s not right for me to train today that’s the point to turn round and go home again without beating myself up with criticism. I often find it helps both mentally and practically to do something that supports my future training. That could mean planning a route or programme for my next session, perhaps do some stretching or rehab work, or just get an early night to speed recovery.

Getting stronger and healthier is a long game and no single workout is worth the loss of weeks of workouts to injury. That said, if you find yourself genuinely not feeling strong enough to workout on a regular basis, you should probably revisit your sleep, nutrition or training load. A good coach can help you find the right balance to support consistent training.

So right now I am going to lace up my shoes and see how I feel.

(NB What I write is all my own words. But sometimes an AI image helps to get the point across!)