5 Sneaky Signs I Missed Before Realizing I Was Overdoing My Workouts

For years, I thought “working hard” in the gym was the badge of honor that proved I was doing things right. Sweat-soaked clothes? Badge earned. Sore muscles that lingered for days? Proof of effort. Rest days? Only if I absolutely had to. It wasn’t until my body started nudging—then shouting—at me that I realized I was pushing past healthy limits.

Overtraining doesn’t always announce itself with something obvious, like an injury. More often, it tiptoes in with subtle shifts you barely notice at first. These are the sneaky signs I missed along the way, and the ones I now teach clients to watch for so they can keep fitness joyful, not punishing.

Before diving in, here’s one thing I wish I had fully grasped sooner: exercise is a stressor. A beneficial one, yes, but your body doesn’t separate “good” stress (like workouts) from “bad” stress (like work deadlines). It all gets added to the same pile, and too much can overwhelm your system. That’s why listening to the quieter cues matters.

1. My Rest Days Started Feeling Like a Waste

I used to feel guilty if I skipped the gym. A rest day left me anxious, like I was backsliding. But here’s what I didn’t understand then: recovery isn’t wasted time—it’s where your body actually makes progress.

During exercise, you create tiny tears in muscle fibers. It’s in the repair process afterward that those fibers grow stronger. Skipping rest is like continually hammering a wall without ever giving the plaster time to set—you end up with cracks instead of strength.

Looking back, my guilt was a red flag. If you notice yourself dreading recovery days, framing them as “lazy,” it could be a sign you’re stuck in a mindset of overtraining. The irony? Rest is as critical a part of the equation as reps or sets. Now, I build recovery days into my routine with the same intentionality as workouts. And yes, sometimes “recovery” looks like a walk, mobility drills, or gentle yoga—but other times it’s Netflix and a blanket. Both count.

2. My Sleep Quality Tanked (Even Though I Was Exhausted)

There were weeks when I felt drained but couldn’t fall asleep, or I’d wake up at 3 a.m. wired and restless. At first, I chalked it up to stress at work. But sleep disruption can actually be a physiological sign of overtraining syndrome.

Here’s why: intense, frequent workouts increase cortisol, your body’s primary stress hormone. Cortisol isn’t bad—it helps you wake up in the morning and gives you energy during workouts—but too much, for too long, can throw your circadian rhythm off balance. That imbalance can leave you exhausted yet unable to fully rest.

It’s sneaky because we often assume exercise helps sleep—and it usually does. Studies confirm that moderate activity supports deeper, more restorative rest. But when you push past your body’s threshold, that benefit flips.

What finally clicked for me was realizing that I wasn’t just “tired.” I was running on a stress high. And no amount of magnesium tea or lavender oil could solve it until I pulled back on the intensity of my workouts.

3. My Mood Swings Didn’t Make Sense

This one was the hardest to spot because I thought exercise was supposed to boost my mood. And most of the time, it does. But overdoing it can backfire.

I’d snap at small things, feel irritable in conversations, or have waves of sadness I couldn’t explain. Later, I learned that chronic over-exercising can affect neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine—the very chemicals that regulate mood.

In fact, research has shown that overtraining may mimic the effects of chronic stress and even contribute to symptoms of anxiety or depression. It’s not because exercise is bad; it’s because balance got lost.

What made me pause was this: I’d have days where a workout didn’t feel energizing—it felt like another drain on my emotional reserves. That was my sign. Now, when I sense that shift, I treat it as data, not weakness.

4. My Performance Plateaued (or Even Dropped)

I used to believe more was better. More reps, more miles, more classes in a week. But one of the classic signs of overdoing it is actually the opposite of progress: performance stalls.

I remember training for a half-marathon, piling on mileage because I thought endurance was built by sheer volume. Instead of improving, my pace slowed, and my legs felt heavier every run. The truth is, without enough recovery, your body can’t adapt to the demands you’re putting on it.

Studies in sports medicine show that overtraining leads to declines in strength, speed, and coordination—not gains.

These days, when I notice myself plateauing, I don’t automatically double down. I reassess: Have I fueled enough? Have I recovered enough? Often, scaling back intensity for a week yields better results than piling on more.

5. My Immune System Started Waving the White Flag

This was perhaps the most telling sign—and one I ignored far too long. I’d catch colds more frequently, feel run-down, or struggle to bounce back from minor illnesses.

Here’s the science: while moderate exercise strengthens the immune system, prolonged intense training without recovery can suppress it. That’s because your body allocates resources to muscle repair and stress response, leaving less for immune defense.

Mine was flashing, and I didn’t connect the dots until I was missing workouts not because I wanted to, but because I was too sick to move.

The Bigger Picture: Why We Miss These Signs

So why do so many of us, myself included, brush past these cues? Partly because fitness culture often glorifies hustle. “No pain, no gain.” “Push harder.” “Sleep is for the weak.” The messaging makes it easy to ignore whispers until they become shouts.

But tuning in doesn’t mean you’re slacking—it means you’re training smarter. Fitness isn’t about punishing your body; it’s about creating resilience and longevity. And resilience requires respect for limits.

I now think of it this way: exercise should add to your life, not take away from it. If your workouts leave you depleted—physically, mentally, or emotionally—it may be time to recalibrate.

Radiant Reflections

Here are five practices I now share with clients (and follow myself) to keep movement sustainable and supportive:

• Schedule recovery like workouts. Treat rest days as appointments you don’t skip. Your body will thank you with stronger performance and fewer injuries.
• Track energy, not just output. A journal noting mood, sleep, and energy alongside workouts helps you see patterns before burnout sets in.
• Fuel like it matters. Carbs, protein, and hydration are your recovery allies. Skimping here only deepens fatigue.
• Practice body check-ins. Ask yourself before workouts: Am I energized or depleted? Am I training from excitement or obligation? The answers guide intensity.
• Redefine success. Fitness isn’t just about mileage or weight lifted. Success also looks like consistent energy, balanced moods, and enjoying the process.

Glow Forward, Not Burn Out

The biggest shift I’ve made is understanding that movement is meant to add light to your life, not dim it. Overdoing workouts might give you short-term validation—another class checked off, another mile logged—but the long game is about energy you can sustain, strength that supports you outside the gym, and a body that feels as good as it looks.

The sneaky signs I missed weren’t failures; they were my body waving little flags, asking me to pause, recalibrate, and show up in a healthier way. Listening sooner could have saved me a lot of frustration, but listening now has given me something better: trust in my body’s signals.

If you’ve been stuck in the “more is better” loop, consider this your gentle nudge to step back and ask: Is my routine helping me glow, or is it quietly burning me out? The answer may surprise you—and it could be the very key to unlocking a stronger, steadier, more radiant you.