Is there such a thing as too much exercise? It’s difficult to define what constitutes over-exercising. After all, professional athletes will put in many hours of training each week. Doctors prescribe 150 minutes of physical activity for the rest of us. You can, however, overdo it and push yourself too hard even in those 150 minutes. You should examine how over-exercising makes you feel physically and emotionally in order to define the repercussions of over-exercising. If you can scarcely move the next day, you probably overexerted yourself. Even so, expect to be sore and exhausted if you are out of shape.
Including exercise in your regular regimen has numerous advantages. Improved heart health, a lower risk of depression, and better bone health are just a few of them. However,
over-exercising can have the opposite effects on your body.
Bone and Muscle Injuries
After a workout, your body requires time to recover and mend from the previous session. Muscle strains and sprains, shin splints, and stress fractures can all be caused by jogging too far too often, carrying too much weight, or simply pushing oneself too far, according to the Mayo Clinic. Athletes, too, have days off.
If you’re feeling achy and sore, your body is probably in need of a rest. On different days of the week, create a workout that uses different muscles and has different intensities. Monday, for example, maybe an upper-body strength day. You can concentrate on jogging or walking on Tuesday. You may take a day off on Wednesday. You can also do some yoga on Thursday. Make sure you’re not doing the same workouts over and again to avoid injury. Even if you don’t get hurt, your body can adapt to the same routines, halting improvement.
Low Weight or Body Fat Percentage
Exercising can assist you in achieving and maintaining a healthy weight. Over-exercising, on the other hand, might result in excessive weight loss. Women should have a BMI of at least 18.5 and a body fat percentage of at least 20%. When you lose too much weight, it can start to alter your hormones. Women who are underweight are more likely to experience early menopause, osteoporosis, and infertility. Anemia and a compromised immune system are also possible side effects.
Furthermore, it has the potential to disturb your metabolism. When you exercise too much and burn too many calories, your metabolism slows down. This, however, makes losing weight more difficult. Furthermore, when people’s metabolisms slow down, they don’t immediately recover. This is why people who follow strict diets and fitness routines soon regain their weight.
Depression or Anxiety
Exercising too much can make you tired and even unhappy. It can interfere with your sleep and appetite, making you feel even more tired. If your workouts aren’t making you feel energized, you might need to change up your fitness routine by dropping your intensity or modifying the type of activity you undertake. You may even need to improve your intake of nutritious carbohydrates and protein.
You should also consider why you work out. Do you exercise in order to maintain your health? Or are you doing it as a form of retaliation for having a cookie for lunch? When you think of exercise as a punishment, you’re more likely to overdo it and miss out on the mental health advantages.
