Exercising Too Much? 5 Ways It’s Killing You!
If you find yourself exceeding 300 minutes of exercise a week, you could be pushing yourself to physical “burnout,” and may be jeopardizing your health in a number of ways.
Also Read The First Article In The Series: How Much Exercise Do You Need?
Also Read The Second Article In The Series: How Much Exercise Is Too Much Exercise?
Let’s take a closer look how:
Exercising Too Much? 5 Ways It’s Killing You!
1.
Too Much Exercise Causes Overtraining Syndrome(OTS):
Overtraining? When you exercise, you’re actually breaking down your muscle fibers. Usually, this is a good thing because when the body repairs and rebuilds them, you’re stronger than you were before. But in order for the repair process to happen you need adequate sleep, nutrition, rest, and recovery. If one fails to give your body these essentials, it interferes with body’s ability to get stronger. And continuously getting in the way of your body rebuilding itself from the damage of the previous workout(s), takes your body to a place of chronic stress, which is called Overtraining Syndrome.
Are You Exercising Too Much?
One way to think about it:
Too much exercise + Not enough food + Insufficient rest + Too much stress = Overtraining Syndrome.
Some of the symptoms could be decreased performance, a lack of quality sleep, a nagging sports injury, super sore muscles, and not making progress despite exercising.
Is overtraining syndrome something the general population needs to worry about?
Generally speaking, no.
But it’s something all exercisers should be aware of, especially since the more-is-better trend in fitness continues.
The Fix:
Once it’s been confirmed that you really do have overtraining syndrome, your next step is to scale your workouts back.
Usually, working with a trainer who can intentionally write a program for you based on your fitness goals and current lifestyle. And, of course, it’s important to actually follow the program when a rest day is scheduled!
And, because inadequate nutritional intake often contributes to overtraining, athletes should also work with a nutritionist to figure out exactly much (and what) they should be eating to support their training goals.
We also recommend keeping a fitness feelings journal. This isn’t a place where you’ll write what your workouts are—it’s a place to think through how your body is feeling, what’s sore, and how your training program is making you feel.
Recommended Read: How To Sneak Exercise Into Your Life!
2.
It’s Addictive:
Exercise is addictive!
Consistent exercise causes the body to produce endorphins, which decrease anxiety and create feelings of euphoric happiness. But endorphins are chemically similar to the drug morphine, and so for many people, compulsive exercise can be psychologically addictive. For regular exercisers, and especially for bodybuilders, triathletes, cyclists or marathoners, reducing or stopping exercise suddenly – or even missing one single workout – can result in depression, stress and anxiety. This “mouse on a wheel” attraction to exercise can result in overtraining, missing family obligations and social gatherings.
The Fix:
Include at least one day per week in which you do not exercise or your exercise involves no structure (such as playing a new sport). Unless you are paid for your physical performance, exercise addiction is not worth destroying your body and relationships.
Recommended Reading: Walking Your Way To Fitness
3.
Overexercising Hurts The Heart!
In one study, British researchers confirmed that over half of the hardcore athletes showed signs of fibrosis, or scarring of heart tissue, compared to no scarring in “non-exercising” individuals. In addition, wear and tear of years of heavy-duty workouts or lifelong endurance exercise can weaken heart muscles – predisposing you to a condition called “ventricular arrhythmia” in which the heart beats erratically. This is probably due to damage to the right chamber of the heart, which can disrupt normal heart rate and rhythm, and this has put an end to the career of several pro endurance athletes, who engage in the type of training.
The Fix:
Avoid excessive exercise, especially a combination of high intensity and high volume workouts. If you do find yourself in this situation, such as during the build-up to an Ironman triathlon, then engage in good warm-ups and proper cool-downs after each workout, and include at least one total recovery day. As much as possible, try to avoid competing in events such as an Ironman triathlon or ultra-marathon more than once per year.
Also Read: How To Prepare For Your Weight Loss Journey?
4.
It Is Associated With Body Perception Disorders.
Body dysmorphic disorder is a psychological disorder in which you are excessively concerned about a perceived defect in your physical features, such as your waistline not being thin enough. This can result in heavy, often socially isolated exercise to “repair the defect”. You may turn to excessive exercising even when it comes to the detriment of your joints or health and If you don’t, this can result in depression, social anxiety, and even social phobia, or complete avoidance of being in public.
The Fix:
Learn to accept yourself for who you are, and understand that you are your own worst critic. Unless you’re an actor or a model, most other people really don’t care what your body looks like, so there’s no reason to be embarrassed. Striving for a perfect body is an uphill battle that will always result in failure at some point, probably when you’re 60, 70 or 80. There’s nothing wrong with looking good, but don’t become obsessed about it unless your income depends on it.
Like Our Articles?: Click Here To Subscribe To FITrebel.in
5.
Overexercising Is Hard On Family Life.
Couples can become increasingly conflicted as a spouse becomes obsessed with a particular exercise goal, such as extreme weight loss or an Ironman triathlon – to the detriment of time spent with family. Often, since the exercise goal can be justified as “noble”, it is difficult for a spouse or family member to negotiate with the over-exerciser to spend more time with family.
The Fix:
If your goals require you to exercise “excessively”, then at least attempt to include family in exercise. Join a gym with free childcare so you and the spouse can exercise together, get a jogging stroller and bicycle trailer, and train indoors with the kids at home so a spouse can go enjoy free time.
Also Read: Four Myths Destroying Your Fitness Dreams
So those are the top reasons why too much exercise is bad for you. Please don’t misinterpret this article, because at FITrebel.in we believe that a lifetime of healthy physical activity is one of the best things you can do for your body and your brain. But a lifetime of indiscriminate, chronic repetitive motion exercise like a rat on a wheel is entirely another matter, and you ought to seriously reconsider your priorities if you are stuck in that rut.
Recommended Reads:
I Started Exercising Less and Now I’m Fitter Than Ever
Exercising Too Much? 5 Ways It’s Killing You!
