How to tell if you’re exercising too much

How to tell if you’re exercising too much

Diet and exercise are pillars of a healthy lifestyle. We’re told that exercise is a beneficial activity that will improve both our body and mind. However, did you know that you could take exercise too far?

Overexercising is what happens when you cross the threshold from a healthy habit to a harmful one. Too much exercise can negatively impact your sleep schedule, your mood, and even cause you to gain weight! Click through the following gallery to find out the symptoms of overexercising, and how you can recover.


Isn’t exercise good for you?


What is overexercising?

Overexercising means that you’re working out so much that you’re actually experiencing a negative health impact. You’re not giving your body enough time to recuperate.


Frequent exercise


Just because you work out more than the average person does not mean that you’re overexercising. Your training plan should depend on various individual factors, such as goal, diet, and initial fitness level.


What are the symptoms of overexercising?


So, what exactly does overexercising look like? Be on the lookout for some of these symptoms if you feel like you may be spending too much time working out.


Trouble sleeping

You’re very tired but can’t seem to sleep, or you have poor sleep quality throughout the night.


Dehydration

You constantly feel like you’re not taking in enough water, despite drinking the required amount.


Decreased appetite

Usually the more you exercise, the hungrier you are. But in this case your appetite has decreased significantly, despite your training regimen remaining the same.


Exhaustion

A normal amount of exercise may perk you up, but too much will sap your energy. Pay attention if your daily life all of a sudden seems like a struggle for an extended period of time.


Weight gain

While many use exercise to lose weight, overexercising can do the opposite. Due to potential hormonal imbalances, the body can start burning muscle instead of fat, causing weight gain.


It feels more difficult

Your standard exercises begin to feel much more difficult than they were previously. Everyone has off days, however, if this becomes the norm, it may be a symptom.


Chronic injuries

You have constant injuries, however, you choose to keep working out consistently anyway, instead of stopping to let your body heal.


Sore muscles

Sore muscles for a few days after working out is normal. However, if the soreness isn’t letting up at all, that’s an issue.


Constantly sick

You are constantly sick with something. Too much working out can lower your immunity, so you may constantly have a cough, congestion, etc.


Less enjoyment

You consistently lack motivation for exercise that you previously really enjoyed.


Addiction

You obsess about working out. You’re constantly thinking about it, and you put it above everything else, including spending time with friends and family.


Moody

Your body is stressed, therefore you are stressed. This can include depression, anxiety, hostility, and many more unpleasant feelings.


Plateau

You’re stalling in your fitness progress, meaning that no matter how much you work out, you’re not improving.


Amenorrhea

Women, if they’re not eating a sufficient diet for the amount they’re working out, can suffer from amenorrhea. This means that they haven’t had their period for three months or more.


Amenorrhea

This has side effects, including weakened bones, which can cause issues like osteoporosis and leave you more susceptible to stress fractures.


High resting heart rate

When you are “resting” (not doing intense physical activity), your heart rate is much higher than normal.


How to recover from overexercising

If you think that you may have been overexercising, here are some things you should do to recover.


See a doctor

If these symptoms are hitting close to home, you should go see a medical professional to get evaluated.


See a doctor

This step is incredibly important, as some of the effects listed can be symptoms of other problems. You want to ensure that overexercise is really the cause.


Reset your body

Take a break! Your body needs rest and time to recuperate, and you haven’t been giving it enough of that. Take a week or two off.


Scale way back

When you do return to training, find a regimen that makes sense for your goals, but is still within a healthy sphere. A trainer and/or nutritionist may be able to help you with that.


Write in a journal

Start to write down how you’re feeling about fitness on the whole, and what you think your motivation is for working out so much. You can also use it to write down how your body is feeling throughout your new training program.


Get a sports massage

Your muscles have been under a lot of strain, and likely haven’t had time to recover. Invest in a good sports massage so that they can begin to heal.


Hydrate

Just because you aren’t working out as often doesn’t mean you should stop drinking lots of water. Keep yourself hydrated.


Find a relaxing activity

Get involved in a relaxing activity that you can do to counteract the stress that your body has been under. It can be anything from meditation to reading a book, or even going on walks with friends.


Activities to help you relax