Is It Possible to Exercise Too Much?
The short answer to the question posed in the headline is yes, but it’s important for you to understand how this happens and why. And of course it’s important to know how to avoid it.
While a consistent regimen of exercise is vital for good health, you can damage your body by exercising too much or with too high of an intensity. It’s a phenomenon called overtraining syndrome, and it’s defined by Cleveland Clinic as “a condition that happens when you exercise too often or too intensely for long enough that it starts to hurt your body.”
Overtraining syndrome results in not only physical symptoms but mental symptoms as well. The first signs that you’re suffering from this are muscle pain and stiffness—different pains from just working a new muscle group or working out when you haven’t worked out for a few days. You may then also experience unexpected weight loss or gain, poor sleep, anxiety, and you may even start to get sick with minor colds or other illnesses more frequently. If the condition goes untreated, you may experience more serious symptoms, including insomnia, mood changes, high blood pressure, chronic fatigue, depression, and an abnormal heart rate.
How does this happen?
Overtraining symptoms happen when you overexert yourself and don’t allow for proper recovery. This usually happens if you are pushing yourself for some reason—for a competition, to hit a personal best, or to reach a goal. These are the times when people often forget to take care of themselves. They wrongly think that the more exercise they do the better, but they forget the importance of recovery.
Remember, when you exercise, you get minor tears in your muscle fibers. This is normal, and it’s a good thing, as during recovery, your body repairs itself and the muscles become stronger. But if you don’t allow yourself time to recover, your body can’t repair itself, and you run the risk of causing damage or even becoming susceptible to injuries.
Healthline explains that, depending on the intensity of workout, this repair process takes 24-72 hours, and it therefore advises working a wide variety of muscle groups to allow recovery for each.
Anyone who pushes themselves in an exercise routine for prolonged periods without rest is at risk of overtraining syndrome, but this condition most often occurs with running, cycling, swimming, and weight training.
If you find that you are exhibiting the symptoms mentioned above, focus on recovery. Take some time off. Refrain from strenuous exercise. That doesn’t mean you can’t exercise at all or that you need to lie on the couch doing nothing for days. But focus on light exercise. Talk walks instead of jog, ride an exercise bike slowly, stretch, or even try yoga.
If you are experiencing severe symptoms, talk to your doctor. You may need to abstain from exercise for a period of time. How long you need to rest depends on how damaged your body is. If you fear reinjuring yourself, find a personal trainer who can help you develop a workout plan.
Knowing the dangers, you may be asking, How much should I exercise?
According to the US Department of Health and Human Services’ Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, “For substantial health benefits, adults should do at least 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) to 300 minutes (5 hours) a week of moderate-intensity, or 75 minutes (1 hour and 15 minutes) to 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity, or an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity aerobic activity.”
That may not seem like a lot to you, and it may not be if your routine is to hit the gym or work out every day. But remember that overtraining happens when you overexert yourself and don’t allow proper rest time.
WebMD explains that you can prevent overtraining by getting proper rest, taking cues from your body, and getting the proper nutrition. That means eating a balanced diet of both protein and carbs, eating fresh fruits and vegetables, and staying away from foods laden with sugar or empty calories.
So, keep these cautionary words in mind and take steps to prevent these symptoms from beginning. When you take care of your body, it will have a better chance of taking care of you.
