<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #993366;"><em><strong>PART 4 - ACKNOWLEDGING WHEN IT'S TIME TO BACK IT OFF!</strong></em></span></h1>
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<h5 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"><em>When is it time to back off your intensity?</em></span></h5>
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<h5 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"><em>When is it time drop your training volume?<a style="color: #ffffff;" href="http://balancehealthprograms.com.au/wp-content/uploads/hhbhbhb.jpg"><img class="  wp-image-2728 alignright" src="http://balancehealthprograms.com.au/wp-content/uploads/hhbhbhb.jpg" alt="hhbhbhb" width="234" height="157" /></a></em></span></h5>
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<h5 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"><em>When is it time to simply rest?</em></span></h5>
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<h5 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"><em>When is it time to perhaps select something new?</em></span></h5>
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<h4><span style="color: #993366;">Before I have focus on 3 classic signs of over-training, here is a list of symptoms (and behaviour) you should look out for.  </span></h4>
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<h5><span style="color: #008080;"><em><strong>Forever tired</strong></em></span></h5>
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<h5><span style="color: #008080;"><em><strong>Little energy for lifestyle - family, work &amp; social interests</strong></em></span></h5>
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<h5><span style="color: #008080;"><em><strong>Low sex drive</strong></em></span></h5>
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<h5><span style="color: #008080;"><em><strong>More than 2 colds or flu's per year</strong></em></span></h5>
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<h5><span style="color: #008080;"><em><strong>A cold or flu that remains for more than 3 days <img class="  wp-image-2426 alignright" src="http://balancehealthprograms.com.au/wp-content/uploads/stresss.jpg" alt="stresss" width="491" height="296" /></strong></em></span></h5>
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<h5><span style="color: #008080;"><em><strong>Repeated musculo-skeletal injuries</strong></em></span></h5>
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<h5><span style="color: #008080;"><em><strong>A belief you can train hard through an injury because you're receiving treatment</strong></em></span></h5>
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<h5><span style="color: #008080;"><em><strong>Find yourself forever expressing your problems with others</strong></em></span></h5>
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<h5><span style="color: #008080;"><em>Find yourself self-diagnosing your injuries through hours spent surfing the net</em></span></h5>
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<h5><span style="color: #008080;"><em><strong>Believing a 'newly' designed wonder injection is better than time honoured rest</strong></em></span></h5>
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<h5><span style="color: #008080;"><em><strong>Increasing training and resting heart rate</strong></em></span></h5>
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<h5><span style="color: #008080;"><em>Declining results</em></span></h5>
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<h5><span style="color: #008080;"><em><strong>Weird bad luck</strong></em></span></h5>
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<h5><span style="color: #008080;"><em><strong>Cravings for refined sugars (junk food)</strong></em></span></h5>
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<h5><span style="color: #008080;"><em><strong>Find yourself pining for (evening) alcohol</strong></em></span></h5>
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<h4><span style="color: #ffffff;"><strong>QUICK GUIDE TO SIGNS OF OVER-TRAINING</strong></span></h4>
<h5><span style="color: #ffffff;"><em>Rest - take the day or week off</em></span></h5>
<h5><span style="color: #ffffff;"><em>X-train - try an alternative sport<a href="http://balancehealthprograms.com.au/wp-content/uploads/runn2.jpg"><img class=" size-medium wp-image-2988 alignright" src="http://balancehealthprograms.com.au/wp-content/uploads/runn2-300x200.jpg" alt="runn2" width="300" height="200" /></a></em></span></h5>
<h5><span style="color: #ffffff;"><em>Back off your intensity by 50% - yep 50%</em></span></h5>
<h5><span style="color: #ffffff;"><em>Train alone</em></span></h5>
<h5><span style="color: #ffffff;"><em>Improve your diet</em></span></h5>
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<h3><span style="color: #993366;"><strong>The Big 3 over-training kings; Poor Sleep, Intolerance, and Repeated niggles</strong></span></h3>
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<h4><span style="color: #993366;"><strong><em> Poor sleep (and remember quality sleep is essential in reaching your healthy best)</em></strong></span></h4>
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<h5><span style="color: #ffffff;"><em><strong>Poor sleep meaning:</strong> You’re either falling asleep for 2-3 hours, then waking and never really getting back to deep sleep – until your final 30 minu<img class="alignright wp-image-3817" src="http://www.bpsnowyhealth.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/2000px-Complications_of_insomnia.svg-300x269.png" alt="2000px-Complications_of_insomnia.svg" width="165" height="148" />tes of allocated sleep time (damn it).  Or, while feeling completely exhausted you're struggling to fall asleep, until the final 2 hours of allocated sleep time.</em></span></h5>
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<span style="color: #003366;"><em> </em></span>

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<h4><span style="color: #993366;"><strong><em>(Possible) Reasons for poor sleep. </em></strong></span></h4>
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<h5><em><strong style="color: #008080;"><span style="color: #993366;">a) Excessive physical exhaustion </span></strong><span style="color: #008080;">– usually a result of an extended and committed exercise session performed for the first time.  Muscles are fired by nerves, and if these nerves are asked to fire muscles for an extended period of time, and aggressively, it is common for all this neural firing to remain on hyper-drive for some time post workout.  This residual firing will of course settle in time as one's fitness improves, but for that first hard hit out of the season it's common for nerves (and brain) to upset quality sleep.   Introductory all out efforts can also effect sleep courtesy of an ill-conditioned thermo-regulation system - as in an increased (body) temperature struggling to cool itself post workout.  Gut inflammation courtesy of poor food choices (namely sports food) and super hard acidic workouts can equally influence poor sleep. </span></em></h5>
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<h5 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"><em><strong>I can't ever remember sleeping well post an Ironman triathlon Event.</strong></em></span></h5>
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<h4><span style="color: #993366;"><strong><em><span style="color: #00ffff;">What could you do post harder training sessions?</span> </em></strong></span></h4>
<h5><span style="color: #ffffff;"><em>Consider my recovery (de-stressing) tips in the <a style="color: #ffffff;" href="http://www.bpsnowyhealth.com.au/part-6-recovery-from-running-sessions/">Born to Run</a> section.  </em></span></h5>
<h5><span style="color: #ffffff;"><em>Personally I favour spending a few minutes post session with my legs elevated and my eyes closed.  </em></span></h5>
<h5><span style="color: #ffffff;"><em>I’ve also found an extended hot shower, cup of herbal tea, and listening to relaxing tunes can also de-sensitize hyper- active nerves.  </em></span></h5>
<h5><span style="color: #ffffff;"><em>I also find a small glass of red wine can relax both brain and body just before bed.  Be warned, I said a small glass - consume excessive alcohol will likely further contribute to a poor sleep.  </em></span></h5>
<h5><span style="color: #ffffff;"><em>I usually take the next day completely off all forms of training, allowing natural rest and recovery to take action.</em></span></h5>
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<h5><em><span style="color: #993366;"><strong>b) Mental exhaustion</strong></span>–<span style="color: #008080;"> I'm referring to those days when lifestyle (mental &amp; emotional) challenges have taken their toll and as a result have influenced your poor sleep.  This is <img class="alignright wp-image-3819" src="http://www.bpsnowyhealth.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/8456188296_c28f171779_o-300x220.gif" alt="8456188296_c28f171779_o" width="195" height="143" />commonly as result of a taxed yet still hyperactive mind but with an inactive body not requiring necessary rest and recovery.  Trying to sleep with a tired yet semi-engaged brain while processing data or perceived 'next day' challenges will make quality sleep even more demanding.</span></em></h5>
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<h4><span style="color: #00ffff;"><strong><em>What you could do post harder training sessions?</em></strong></span></h4>
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<h5><span style="color: #ffffff;"><em>Consider using the 'free' App PZIZZ.  </em></span></h5>
<h5><span style="color: #ffffff;"><em>This App offers up subliminal messaging (background sounds, white noise, and soothing vocals) aimed at calming the mind and influencing improved sleep. <img class="alignright wp-image-3816" src="http://www.bpsnowyhealth.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/download-1.jpg" alt="download (1)" width="207" height="207" /> </em></span></h5>
<h5><span style="color: #ffffff;"><em>It offers both a power snooze feature and a more powerful ‘sleep through the night’ option.  </em></span></h5>
<h5><span style="color: #ffffff;"><em>I will list other possible forms of (mainstream) mediation in our WORK/LIFE Balance section.  </em></span></h5>
<h5><span style="color: #ffffff;"><em>I would also consider exercising very much in your AZ (Aerobic Zone) only.  </em></span></h5>
<h5><span style="color: #ffffff;"><em>Even a 15 minute brisk walk will usually do the trick.  I've seen this offer the perfect dose for encouraging 'muscle' rest &amp; recovery – leading to improved sleep.</em></span></h5>
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<h4><span style="color: #993366;"><strong><em> Uncharacteristic (behavioural) intolerance – particularly from 3-8pm.</em></strong></span></h4>
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<h5><span style="color: #00ffff;"><em>Meaning over-training leaves you so tired your (emotional) battery is empty post lunchtime.  </em></span></h5>
<h5><span style="color: #ffffff;"><em><strong>While negative defaults</strong> like;<img class="  wp-image-3281 alignright" src="http://balancehealthprograms.com.au/wp-content/uploads/bar-300x225.jpg" alt="bar" width="272" height="204" /></em></span></h5>
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	<li><span style="color: #ffffff;"><em>Excessive alcohol (particularly before sleep), </em></span></li>
	<li><span style="color: #ffffff;"><em>Cravings for modified food (usually a perfect marriage of refined sugar and ‘bad’ fat), and</em></span></li>
	<li><span style="color: #ffffff;"><em>Pick me up hits like energy drinks or a 5<sup>th</sup> coffee</em></span></li>
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<span style="color: #ffffff;"><em><strong> are classically inviting <span style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5;">when one’s perception of lifestyle stress is all encumbering, eventually these choices will further contribute to uncharacteristic decisions. </span></strong></em></span>
<h5><span style="color: #ffffff;"><em>Erratic blood sugar balance, gut stress, and brain fog will (usually) only add to the perception and resolve of lifestyle stress.</em><em> </em></span></h5>
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<h4><span style="color: #993366;"><strong><em>What you could do? </em></strong></span></h4>
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<h5><span style="color: #008080;"><em>Try a larger breakfast of ‘real’ slow energy releasing fats &amp; protein - as listed i the Food section.  Also be conscious of your hydration status – so while increasing ever slightly your water consumption, be sure to equally add superstar ‘real’ hydrating foods like watermelon, cucumber, coconut and perhaps some slightly saltier foods like fish.
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<h5><span style="color: #008080;"><em>Also if you’re head’s all muddled up extend your ‘normal’ warm up exercising period by 20%.  Just take it out super easily allowing rich easily supplied oxygen the chance to balance those imbalanced hormonal marbles.  Before you know it you’ll be all fired up for more exciting exercise, while solving your sh1t and smiling again.</em></span></h5>
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<h3><span style="color: #993366;"><strong><em> A niggle just won’t go away!</em></strong></span></h3>
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<h5><span style="color: #ffffff;">If you’re repeatedly complaining about a niggle that just won’t go away, and you’ve sort medical advice and treatment, well, perhaps it’s time to back off your intensity, increase your rest, <img class="alignright wp-image-3818" src="http://www.bpsnowyhealth.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/images-1-300x168.jpg" alt="images (1)" width="250" height="140" />and consider x-training.  The human body is designed to recover, and, for the most part, it will if we give it a chance. </span></h5>
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<h4><span style="color: #993366;"><strong><em>What you could do?</em></strong></span></h4>
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<h5><span style="color: #008080;"><em>Drop your AZ by 30%.  While this a huge decrease in intensity which will likely result in decreasing speed and for now, your performance, you’ll be surprised how quickly ‘things’ heal up with a little TLC.  In time return slowly to your most ideal intensity.  There is a stack of data suggesting our prime fitness and health can be maintained when performing other, more possible movement patterns.  Eg healing time of a broken arm is said to be considerably improved when continuation of lower body exercise.  Again, it all seems to come back to your daily dose of rich O2. </em></span></h5>
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<h4 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"><strong><em>All in all listen to your body.  The signs of being ‘overcooked’ are usually clear. </em></strong></span></h4>
<h4 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></h4>
<h4 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"><strong><em>Recognising and acknowledging your imbalance is key.  Then of course take appropriate action.</em></strong></span></h4>
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<h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"><em><strong><a style="color: #ffffff;" href="http://balancehealthprograms.com.au/part-5-why-warming-up-correctly-is-so-critical/">TAKE ME TO PART 5 - WHY WARMING UP IS SO CRITICAL</a></strong></em></span></h3>
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