When Exercise is Good
Exercise is a form of stress. It’s generally good stress because it causes the release of endorphins, which make you feel happy. Exercise also helps you lose weight, build muscle and enhances self-esteem. Your body is stronger when it’s exposed to physical challenges regularly. Muscles and your heart get stronger when they are physically challenged. But, there is a balance to be found.
When Exercise is Bad
Exercise becomes a bad stress when it’s applied too frequently, with excessive intensity and without enough rest. If you find yourself giving up family time, social engagements, sleep or other hobbies to exercise, it’s possible that you’re over exercising. If working out doesn’t give you a high any more and you find yourself feeling cranky or depressed, then you might be over exercising.
How do you know?
There is a fine line between too little and too much exercise. Before you diagnose yourself as an over exerciser, consider making a few small changes to your habits by viewing the list below. If these suggestions don’t solve the symptoms of over exercise, then it’s time to meet with a fitness professional and review your routine.
6 Signs and Solutions of Over Exercising
#1 If you’re urine is dark yellow or orange you might not be getting enough water.
TRY THIS: Drink 8 – 250 ml glasses of water a day (2 liters) or divide your body weight (pounds) in half and drink that in ounces. 120 pounds becomes 60 ounces. You can see why the first equation might not work for those who have more body weight. Hydration is important for the muscles to recover and for your body to excrete waste products after exercising.
#2 If you’re having trouble sleeping it could be because you’re over exercising or that you simply need better “winding down” habits.
TRY THIS: Take a hot shower or bath before bed, dim the lights and play soothing music. If you’re active all day, the body might need more time to relax before sleeping. Rest and recovery are almost more important than physical fitness itself. When you work out hard, muscles experience micro tears and then they rebuild to get stronger. If you don’t get adequate amounts of rest, the body doesn’t have time or energy to make adaptations and repairs before the next physical demand occurs.
#3 If you’re always hungry you might not be replenishing your body with the nutrients it needs.
TRY THIS: Eat a well-balanced diet to help your body recover from exercise. In general, a balance of healthy fats, protein, carbohydrates and dairy is appropriate. If you’re on a special diet that is dairy free, make sure you get calcium else where. Beans, salmon and kale are a few examples. It’s common for fit people to cut out too many fats from their diet. Your body needs fat for your brain to function properly. Healthy fats like avocado, olive oil and salmon might be a good choice for you. Review your eating habits with a registered dietician or nutrition specialist.
#4 If you’re muscles are always sore, you might be over exercising and need to take a day or two off until they recover completely.
TRY THIS: Soak in a hot bath, get a massage or stretch gently to soothe your muscles and facilitate repair. The muscles need time to rejuvenate in between workout sessions. If sleep isn’t cutting it, then it’s time to incorporate regular relaxation throughout the day. Close your eyes and meditate for five minutes a few times a day. Lay down for a few minutes after your workout and let the muscles relax.
#5 If you’re feeling anxious about missing a workout, it’s time to re-evaluate priorities. It’s great for you to be enthusiastic about exercise, but there are other important aspects of life.
TRY THIS: Question if there something happening at work or home that needs attention. Most people experience stress in life and exercise is a great way to alleviate it, unless there is a bigger problem needing facing. Family counselling or financial planning might be necessary to address what’s going on beneath the surface. Exercise can reduce the stress, but won’t eliminate the source of the problem.
#6 If you panic when you can’t get a certain amount of exercise each day you might have an unrealistic view of how much is necessary.
TRY THIS: More is not better when it comes to exercise. Aim for quality instead of quantity. There are many techniques to accomplish the same fitness goals in less time. Look into HIIT. Consider how much focus you put into your workouts. For example, 20 minutes spent focusing on the workout is better than an hour of distracting yourself with TV while doing cardio. There are a lot of misconceptions about how much exercise is necessary and it varies for each individual.