Everywhere we look there are advertisements, television programs and experts telling us to get our butts off the couch and get moving.
But what happens when the desire to exercise takes over our lives? When does the mantra “no pain, no gain” actually start to affect our health in a negative way?
The mantra itself can stop many people from starting any kind of exercise regimen, because they believe they will have to invest too much time and effort for it to have any effect. Remember, even a little exercise is better than no exercise at all.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), adults need about 2.5 hours of aerobic exercise per week, plus muscle strengthening exercises two days per week. If you find yourself increasing your daily workouts to three hours per day, you may be a candidate for exercise addiction, according to healthline.com.
One problem resulting from over exercising is that your body does not get enough time to rest and heal between sessions. Without enough recovery time, the body starts to rebel with a drop-off in performance and difficulty maintaining a regular training schedule.
Healthline.com suggests these red flags that may indicate a tendency toward exercise addiction;
• Being consumed with thoughts of exercise and weight-gain prevention.
• Working out multiple times a day, often fitting exercise into your routine at any opportunity.
• Loss of balanced perspective—importance of exercise trumps all other facets of life, including family, work, social obligations, and other interests.
• Insistence on continuing regular workouts despite injury, illness, or signs of overtraining.
It can be challenging to change your perspective toward one of better balance. Exercise is a healthy activity that brings physical, mental, and emotional benefits. While you may feel that exercising demonstrates admirable traits such as discipline, sacrifice, and hard work, you could be hurting yourself more than helping yourself.
Here are some tips to consider:
• Talk to a trusted coach, friend, counselor, or other advisor about the situation. Find out if others consider your choices around exercise extreme.
• Change the emphasis of your exercise. Keep in mind that quality training is better than a “more is better” attitude. • Work with a trainer to set a weekly schedule that includes days for rest and lighter-intensity training. The schedule should specify limits on your exercise. Count all exercise toward your total, not just your main workout. If you walk two miles to get to where you’ll start your main workout, for example, those miles should count toward the limits you’ve set. So should stretching, warm-ups, cool-downs, cross-training, and gym classes.
