Ever Wonder The Effect
Of Too Much Exercise on You?

Effect of too much Exercise?

It's surprisingly damaging. You could go into many problematic physical and emotional conditions such as injuries, bone loss, muscle loss, heart failure...

You'd think: "Exercise is good for me, so more's the better...."

You're quite wrong there.

The truth is that too much exercise could actually do you harm. You become "exercise bulimia", same like the eating disorder bulimia. And you could get devastating results, just like the eating disorder.

You lose weight, yes, but not the kind you want – your body goes into starvation mode and releases cortisol (a hormone produced by adrenal glands to keep you awake and alert and to mobilize sugar for energy).

Increased cortisol inhibits any fat metabolism and eats into your muscle mass — yup, your body basically starts eating itself......

So instead of becoming a lean, mean fitness machine, you find you've less strength, weakened immune system, more prone to injury and if your body fat gets too low your periods might cease.

This is a snapshot view of effect of too much exercise.

Scary, huh?

I'm going to give you the "long, detailed" version.......You may think you can't get too much of a good thing, but in the case of exercise, it can sometimes turn into an unhealthy compulsion........

What actually happens when you exercise too much? Or when you become a compulsive/addicted exerciser?

• Injuries - Physically your body needs time to rest. If you exercise too much, your tendons and ligaments are strained, putting them at risk for tears and your bones for stress fractures
• Loss of lean muscle mass, more so if you consume insufficient amount of nutrition to replace your body's need for nutrients
• Heart failure in the absence of proper nutrition. Your heart is a muscle and over exercising could weaken it, leading to potential failure
• Weakened immune system that puts you more prone to colds and viruses. Effect of too much exercise leaves your body exhausted and it has nothing left to fight off bacteria and other illnesses
• Cessation of menstrual cycles, a condition known as amenorrhea.

  Research shows that many female athletes who over train begin to experience bone loss that apparently can't be reversed if the amenorrhea persists long enough.

  Doctors usually speak of irreversible bone loss if the amenorrhea persists for 5 years or more.

  However, factors like changes in diet, excessive weight loss, being excessively underweight or stress could cause amenorrhea too

• Sleep problem - You can’t sleep, your brain’s racing at 100 miles per hour all the time, and you feel like you can’t sit still – everything’s heightened. You alternate this "high" with periods of feeling tired, lethargic and burnt out
• Eating disorder such as anorexia, bulimia, and other eating problems as this disorder is closely linked to compulsive exercise
• Irritability, depression and low self esteem

Now that you know the ugly effect of too much exercise, your next concern: "How do I know if I'm exercising too much?"

Right, I'm giving you a check list, so you check it off.......

• Feel guilty and uneasy if you miss one exercise session
• Feel obligated to exercise even when you don’t want to
• Make up for one missed workout by doubling it the next session
• Intentionally miss work or school to squeeze in another workout
• If you overeat, you feel the need to exercise to make up for it
• You force yourself to exercise, even if you don't feel well
• You prefer to exercise rather than being with friends
• You become very upset if you miss a workout
• You base the amount you exercise on how much you eat
• You've trouble sitting still because you think you're not burning calories
• You worry that you'll gain weight if you skip exercising for a day
• You no longer experience pleasure during exercise
• You can't bring yourself to take a day off from exercise
• You perform poorly when workout

So, how do you tally? Exercise too much, huh?

OK, OK, OK,............

There're exceptions to this.

Some of you might have to train or exercise more because you're:

• An athlete - even then, I still see over training as dangerous
• Participating in a sports event, like a marathon
• On a weight loss program

But the motto remains that - don't over do it......

I suggest you change your outlook and expectations on exercise.

First, exercise for the right reason. You should see exercise as bringing you health and well-being, not merely a beautiful body image.

Second, put together a reasonable exercise program that's based on attainable goals.

Third, exercise in moderation. I consider 3-4 times per week, with time ranging from 30 to 60 minutes per session, as adequate and acceptable.

Though this could vary from one person to another, depending on the needs and goals like weight loss and training for sports events.

Third, listen to your body, when it needs a rest, give it one.

Fourth, allow your body to rest.

Fifth, when starting a new exercise program, begin slowly and build up gradually to avoid injury. It takes time for your body to adapt to the new demands you're placing on it.

Cut back your exercise volume and intensity at the first sign of injury, and don't increase training volume by more than 10% per week.

Sixth, manage your weight by this combo - exercise and eat healthy.

Seventh, don't try to change your body into an unrealistically lean shape. Get the right healthy body weight.

Exercise should bring you lots of benefits , not all these negative effects.

To avoid exercising too much, I would say stick to the golden rule - workout as long as you're feeling good, not becoming obsessive or compulsive about it and you're enjoying it.

And most important, no pain or suffering......

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