(Akiit.com) We’ve all heard it before. No pain, no gain. You have to push past it. There are dozens of variations all around the same theme: if you want to get fit, expect discomfort. However, there are too many people who take this too far and don’t understand the importance of listening to their body. If you’re worried you’re pushing yourself too hard with exercise, here are a few warning signs to watch out for.
You’re drained all the time
You’re going to be tired after you exercise. There’s nothing groundbreaking about figuring that out. However, if you start feeling drained the next morning, at work, and throughout the whole day, you have gone past what’s considered “normal”. You may be 
working yourself too hard or you may not be paying proper attention to nutrition. Make sure you eat after exercise to get your energy levels back to normal. The same goes for being unable to catch your breath. If you have trouble breathing after a few minutes, you should seek medical attention.
You’re swelling like a balloon
If you’re putting a lot of pressure on certain parts of your body without enough rest, you can end up causing issues with your blood pressure. This is especially common of exercises that put pressure on the legs such as running, rowing, or cycling. If you start to see swelling, consider getting some discount surgical compression socks. Don’t forget to dial it back a little, too. Keep pushing it and you can end up causing a blood clot which can get very serious, very quickly.
You’re going in the wrong direction
There are two red flags that you’re working yourself so hard that you’re actually making your body worse at the very exercises you’re trying to improve. The first is that you find you’re not able to lift as much weight or to clear a certain time that you once could. The other is that you’re seeing muscle reduction or starting to put on a little more weight. This is often down to the fact that you take so long in recovery after giving your body a workout that you’re undoing your progress. Or it could be a sign you’re not resting your body enough.
Your body is in a lot of pain
The main lesson to learn is that discomfort during exercise is not the same as pain during exercise. It may hurt to breathe in the cold air after a long run and your muscles might be sore after reps to completion. But if you can feel any distinct, localized, physical pain, it is time to immediately stop. If you workout and you feel pain for days that isn’t going anywhere, it’s time to get yourself checked out.
Listen to your body and watch it during your workout regime. If you start noticing anything abnormal (beyond muscle growth or weight loss), stop and question it. Don’t take anything for granted or you could end up undoing all your good work and even put yourself at risk.
Staff Writer; Gary Day