How to prevent burnout in athletes
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10 Simple Ways to Prevent Burnout in Athletes

It’s often not race day or event day itself that is the hardest.ย  It’s the months of training leading up to the big day.ย  When faced with a high volume and high intensity training plan, one of the biggest hurdles to overcome is the mental, emotional, and physical burnout.ย  So how do you prevent burnout in athletes?ย  First, it’s important to develop a realistic plan with realistic goals, so that it works for you and is achievable.ย  Second, you need to incorporate strategies to help prevent burnout, which you’ll see below.ย  And lastly, you need to recognize that it can happen to you.ย  When you first sign up for that big event, you have all the adrenaline, excitement, and dreams, and can’t imagine that you’d ever burnout.ย  But recognizing the possibility and having a proactiv plan rather than reactive can go a long way in sticking with an intense training plan.ย  Check out these simple ways to prevent burnout in athletes, and see which ones might be the best fit for you!

 

10 ways to prevent burnout in athletes

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How to Prevent Burnout in Athletes

 

As a long distance runner, hiker, and cyclist, I’ve faced my fair share of mental, emotional, and physical burnout.ย  Sometimes they all hit at once.ย  Sometimes I can trace it to weather, sometimes I can trace it to fatigue, and sometimes I can trace it to a bout of reduced excitement.ย  After intense training for handfuls of long distance races and hikes, I have learned to recognize burnout instead of pretending it isn’t there.ย  It isn’t a sign of weakness.ย  Knowing how to face it is one of the ways to stick with a training plan instead of getting derailed.ย 

 

Your strategies need to be realistic, achievable, and fit you.ย  Not everyone is motivated the same.ย  Check out this list of simple ways to prevent burnout in athletes, and create your own “menu”.ย  Then be sure to put it into practice!

 

 

10 Simple Strategies to Prevent Burnout in Athletes

 

Currently, I’m writing this mid way through a 20 week training plan for an upcoming 50k trail race.ย  I’m a few months in, with a few months to go.ย  It’s the dead of winter, and there’s lots of cold, gloomy days.ย  Race day seems far away.ย  There’s more rain which makes trail conditions less than ideal.ย  My body is understandably tired.ย  This is about the stage where burnout and/or overuse can start to raise its ugly head.ย  If you find yourself in a similar situation, it can be easy to fall victim to burnout (both physically, emotionally, and mentally) or overuse injuries, which tend to go hand in hand often.ย  So how do you fight burnout?ย  While it largely comes down to a mental game, hereโ€™s a few suggestions:

 

  • #1: Destination workouts!ย 

If you can, incorporate travel and different destinations into your training plan.ย  It doesn’t have to be a major trip, even just somewhere else in your own state.ย  Changes of scenery are one of the most proven sources of motivation for me.ย  For example, if I’m training for a big hike like the Rim to Rim, I’ll travel to the mountains of west Texas, my home state, and do some destination hikes there.ย  Or if I’m training for a marathon, I might sign up for a destination half marathon on the week I’m due for a 13 mile training run.ย 

 

  • #2: Change up your training routine!ย 

If you mostly train at the gym, try to replicate your routine outside if you can.ย  And vice versa.ย  If you mostly run the same course, find small ways to change it up, even if that’s just running counter clockwise instead of clockwise.ย  Create a simple “choose your own” workout routine to allow for variations, like this customizable strength training workout.ย 

 

  • #3: Mix up your fueling!ย 

This doesn’t necessarily mean try something radically different, but if you normally get a certain brand or “flavor” of trail mix, try another!ย  If you normally top your pre run oatmeal with certain toppings, try different ones. If you normally drink the same flavored electrolyte drink powder, try another flavor.ย  Mix up your energy gels for energy jelly beans or gummies.ย  Enjoy a different recovery snack after.ย  Of course, small changes are best until you know how your body will respond.ย ย 

 

  • #4: Don’t be afraid to incorporate little motivators.

It can be simple like a couple Skittles mid workout.ย  Moderation is key here, but if you find that a couple Skittles helps you get through a tough training chunk, I don’t think it’s going to severely derail you.

 

  • #5: Reward yourself!ย 

Having something to look forward to during or after a tough training hike can help you push through.ย  ย While I’m not advocating that you eat a bowl of ice cream immediately after a tough workout (you should be doing a recovery snack most immediately), there are lots of different things you can look forward to.ย  I’ll cook a fresh and fancy dinner with a splurge item, like salmon.ย  I’ll enjoy some dark chocolate at the end of the day.ย  I’ll warm up after a cold winter run with a cup of coffee.ย  I’ve talked to people who “reward” themselves by saving their favorite podcasts for just when they’re working out, and don’t listen to them otherwise.

 

  • #6: Distract yourself!ย 

Listen to a podcast or call a friend (as long as it doesn’t interfere with your workout).ย  I like calling my mom when I run because she likes to talk, and I can just listen.ย  It doesn’t interfere with my breathing or focus, but it does distract me when I need it.ย ย 

 

  • #7: Make it a checklist.

Maybe there’s a way to use your training as an excuse to check off a fun list.ย  For example, if you’re training for a trail race, maybe you can check off a trail run in as many state parks as you can in your state.ย  If your state is small, maybe you can check off a run in all of them!

 

  • #8: Recover properly!ย 

Make recovery a priority and be kind to yourself after your training workouts, and youโ€™ll find you might have a more positive attitude going into them.ย  Have a proven recovery routine that includes immediate recovery snacks, solid nutrition, hydration, stretching/massaging/foam rolling/yoga, and extra sleep.ย 

 

  • #9: Involve others!

Letting someone else know that you’re heading into a big training workout, whether it’s hitting the gym, going for a run, or knocking out a tough strength training routine, letting friends and/or family know might naturally lend to you being excited to follow up with them and let them know how it went!ย ย 

 

  • #10: Notice trends.

Everyone has trends in their workout moods, whether you notice them or not.ย  I love running in the rain, but I always feel gloomy running on a dark, overcast day, and my motivation plummets.ย  A sunny run has a way of energizing me, even if itโ€™s cold.ย  I actually train better in 100 degrees than 30 degrees. I always feel better and perform better in the afternoon versus a tough morning training workout.ย  Thereโ€™s some scientific data to support this timing, but I always try to train in the afternoons when I can.ย  Sometimes I feel more motivated to train when I feel like it takes me away from family less.ย  That means I may be more motivated to hop on my Wahoo Kickr bike in the evenings while watching a show with my husband together, than I am to actually leave the house and go somewhere to workout on my own.ย  Or going on a rucking hike with my toddler in his Osprey Poco Carrier in order to get in a training hike, get in a strength training workout, and also spend quality time together! This isn’t always the case, but I now know to recognize those days.ย  See if you have any emerging trends or patterns that can help you stay motivated, especially in the mental arena.

 

 

There you have it, 10 simple ways to prevent burnout in athletes.ย  Remember, 99% of sticking with training plans is mental.ย  ย These simple strategies can help keep your mental game stronger and more proactive.

 

 

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