How many days a week should you train for a real result, not for an injury? Experts are unanimous: 3 to 5 well-planned sessions are enough to improve fitness, reduce body fat and lift energy. More than that? Not just unnecessary - counterproductive.

The breakdown sports-medicine specialists keep repeating is simple: 2 to 4 strength sessions a week (that's the base), 2 to 3 moderate cardio sessions (walking, light jogging, cycling), and 1 to 2 for flexibility (yoga or pilates). All training should be spread across the week, not packed into two days - because the muscles have their own recovery calendar.

For the big muscle groups - legs, back, chest - recovery takes 48 to 72 hours. That means working the same muscles every day doesn't bring faster growth - the opposite. The core, contrary to popular belief, doesn't need to be trained every day either. Compound movements like squats and deadlifts already activate the whole core - no need to sit on the floor and count to 100 crunches.

Symptoms of overtraining are specific and often ignored: persistent fatigue that doesn't pass for weeks, drop in performance, slower recovery, tendinitis and stress fractures. Poor sleep, raised resting heart rate, irritability. "The body needs recovery to progress," explains Dr Juan Carlos Segovia, a sports-medicine specialist. "When you don't respect that process, you fall into a negative cycle."

For a Balkan audience that in recent years has fallen for "I run every day", there's a serious message. Treat the body like a muscle bank - not a factory. Who among us has the time for tendinitis and three months off the bench because of one "healthy ritual" that doesn't work? Better to find a realistic routine and stick with it than to play super-marathon in the local park and then queue at the physio.