Deciding to exercise regularly can be one of the healthiest decisions a person can make. Incorporating aerobic and strength-training exercises into an exercise regimen can help you lose body fat and gain muscle mass quickly. You don’t want to overdo it, however. Over-exerting yourself to keep up with others at the gym can cause serious injury that might not be immediately noticeable. Performing intense exercise the wrong way every time you do them can also have the same effect. To keep yourself from over-exercising, remember these simple signs from your body that it’s time to slow down.

Signs of Tendon Injury

Running, lifting weights and other forms of vigorous exercise can wear away at the tendons and ligaments of your body. This is especially true if you enjoy high-intensity workouts and are not careful enough about the strain it puts on your body. Training indeed takes effort, and even small amounts of tolerable pain, but signs of wear and tear of the tendons shouldn’t be ignored. These can include, but are not limited to:

• Signs of inflammation in the region, such as swelling, redness and soreness.
• Soreness in the affected area at night or first thing in the morning. For example, the tendons in your feet might feel very sore the moment you step on the floor after getting out of bed.
• Pain worsens when you use the tendon.

Irregular or Delayed Periods

Overexercising can adversely affect the delicate balance of the female hormones in a woman’s body. When your period is late or irregular, it could be an indication that you are overdoing it with exercise, especially if you jog long distances. It has to do with the expenditure of energy. It takes some energy for your body to perform its regular functions daily. When you leave it with little energy to do this with, it can cause fluctuations in hormonal levels, which can lead to late or irregular periods.

If your muscles are always so and never seem to recover from previous workouts, this is another sign you need to reduce the intensity or frequency of your workouts. Remember that exercise should be good for you, so don’t injure your body while doing any form of it.