We’ve all heard that ‘too much of a good thing can be bad for us’ but we never really believed it. As it turns out, it might be right, and that includes exercise. The idea that too much exercise is even possible may seem ludicrous to the high percentage of the population who struggle to do enough exercise, but a new study has shown that it is indeed possible, and can have a detrimental effect on wellbeing.
Many people are overweight, unfit and not getting enough exercise: in fact, most people do not meet the daily minimum for physical activity, let alone exceed it. For Americans, these guidelines were set at 150 minutes of medium intensity aerobic exercise per week or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise, with strengthening exercises that involve all of the major groups of muscles to be done at least twice a week on top of that for ultimate wellness. This equates to about 30 minutes of brisk walking on five days of the week, or two long, vigorous workouts per week.
Serious athletes and exercise fanatics often do over an hour of vigorous exercise every day. They build this up over a period of years, starting with shorter, less-intense workouts and increasing their strength and endurance over the years. They often alternative types of exercise each day to allow for the rest (and growth) of muscles. In this way, they safely exceed the exercise recommendations.
Although there is nothing wrong with exceeding the exercise recommendations per se, it can be damaging if this sort of intensity is attempted after a period of very little or no exercise. Muscles can be torn and injuries occur when people do not stay mindful of their body’s limitations. In order to avoid this, it makes sense to start slowly and build up your exercise regime as your fitness and wellness increases.
On occasion, even athletes attempt to overdo it. This is known as overtraining, and can be just as damaging as not training enough as it can cause the immune system to struggle and reduce motivation by causing fatigue in the body.
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