When Is Too Much Exercise Too Much?

Many of us like to exercise, but for some of us, this like turns into a real obsession. This is because of the fact that exercising releases endorphins into our brain. This, in turn, can be addictive. But how do you know when you are getting too much exercise? When do you have to tell yourself to stop? In general, there are two questions that you should answer with “yes” if you are addicted.

“Do you skip social events for an intense sweat session? Or how about being so sore or injured that you get less out of taking your favorite class?” – Fox News

Why Is There Such a Thing As Too Much?

Unfortunately, doing too much exercise is not good for you. In fact, it can be so bad that you will start to reverse all the positive benefits of working out. Because you will actually cause damage to your muscles, you will find it increasingly difficult to heal, leading to loss of muscle tone, to name but one example. Your body will also believe it is in a severe type of starvation mode, meaning it will do more and more to slow down your metabolism. As such, it will become increasingly difficult to lose weight and build muscle, and it can even mean putting more weight on. It is all about moderation.

What Is the Right Amount?

It is very difficult to determine what amount is the right amount of exercise. This is something that will vary from one individual to the next.

“There is no certain amount of exercise that is automatically “too much” for every person. In general, exercising for up to 60-90 minutes, most days of the week is reasonable and healthy for most people as long as recovery and downtime is built in. Competitive athletes may exercise for hours each day without any problem. The right amount of exercise for you may differ from your friend or neighbor and should take into account your fitness level, lifestyle, current health status and more.” – Spark People

Getting the Balance Right

It is really important to get the right balance. You have to be able to work out and enjoy the health benefits without actually damaging your body. As stated, the amount of workout you can do depends on you as an individual, but there are a few guidelines you can follow.

“Ideally, to truly optimize your health, you’ll want to strive for a varied and well-rounded fitness program that incorporates other types of exercise as well. Without variety, your body will quickly adapt.” – Fitness – Mercoloa

Hence, try to do a few different types of exercise. For instance, do some interval training, some strength training, a few core exercises and some stretches. You have to get to know your body and understand what feels right. Some people think that if they work out more, they will also get more of the endorphin rush, but this isn’t true. You will get as much of a rush from one hour’s exercise as you would from two hours, because you only have so much of it to release.