| Tips for Avoiding Burnout |
 I hope you are enjoying the Fall weather, wherever you are. I am pretty much recovered from my big race I did in October. Check out The508.com. It was a pretty brutal event - 41 hours on a bike and with over 35,000 feet of climbing for the 508 mile course. Lots of people ask me, “What’s next?” Well, I don’t really know. I need a break, mentally and physically. And this brings me to my point for today—BURNOUT. This topic is particularly relevant to each of us that live where it gets dark and cold in the winter—a classic recipe for one to forgo workouts and curl up on the couch. As you can imagine, I can get pretty burnt out on the crazy races I do and the huge volume of training that comes with them. When I first started training for races I would work really hard to achieve a great peak. After the races I would immediately jump back into training, fearing that I would lose all the gains I had achieved. Inevitably, this would lead to me getting tired and frustrated to the point that once I just walked into the gym and turned right around and walked back out. Once this happened I started beating myself up and getting mad for not having the mental drive to follow-through with my workouts. I realized later that I had reached the point of complete burnout. After lots of trial and error, I eventually I realized that taking quality time off was good for the mind and the body. A few days or even a week off can really rejuvenate your soul. You will come back to your workouts with a renewed sense of zeal and will probably make greater gains then if you had not taken time off. The other key to avoiding burnout is to create variety in your fitness routine. Now, when I get finished with a big race, I take about two weeks off and do little or nothing. After that lazy period has passed, I try to find something fun and different to do. Right now I am doing some strength training and quite a bit of yoga. If you are feeling tired and not motivated, take a few days off. During the time-off look for some other ways to get in your exercise….change the cardio up, make a circuit, add some new exercises. Anything that is going to keep you interested which will serve to keep your intensity up. I urge you to take time off and vary your workouts and routines. They say that variety is the spice of life, and I think it is a necessity with fitness. Keep things fresh and your mind and body will look forward to each and every workout. Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites         
 
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Mike has over 10 years of experience in the fitness industry. His clients range from celebrities to athletes of every caliber to complete novices. His expertise lies in program design and creating fitness solutions for individuals and organizations. His broad base of knowledge, unique background and deep understanding of the human body, combined with an innate sense of creativity, enable him to build safe, effective and enjoyable workout programs. Mike’s experiences ranges from basic weight loss and general conditioning to injury rehab, pre- and post-natal protocols, as well as training for endurance events including triathlons, marathons and cycling events..