It is always possible to have too much of a good thing, as in the case of exercise. When you're constantly told about the health benefits of regular exercise you may be inclined to increase the amount of physical activity you do. Exercise makes it easier for you to control your weight without giving up your favourite treats, plus working out makes you feel energised and positive, largely due to the release of endorphins that takes place. When you're left buzzing from doing exercise it is no wonder if you find yourself wanting to exercise and perhaps even taking it to extremes.
Over-exercise isn't a problem for the majority of people who may not even be getting the minimum recommended amount of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise a week. There are some people, though, who decide to start a new fitness regime to improve their health or who follow a programme that will increase their fitness so that they can compete against other people in their chosen sport. It might be positive to set yourself a goal, but it is important not to get so carried away with achieving that goal that you jeopardise your overall well-being.
Even though regular exercise is essential for your health, if you never give your body a chance to recover from the intense workouts you do, you could find yourself picking up injuries that are difficult to recover from. You may think that to get fitter you have to simply increase the amount of exercise you do, but if you exercise too much you could find that your performance levels actually decrease. Over-exercise can leave you feeling run-down and tired; you may catch colds frequently and take a long time to get better.
On the occasions when you are unable to exercise you might feel depressed and agitated because not only have you got into a routine of exercising so many hours a day; you also crave the endorphins which you get when you engage in physical activity. It is therefore important to strike a balance in your life. Regular exercise can improve your health, reducing your chances of developing heart disease and conditions such as diabetes, but you also have to mindful of the fact that it is possible to overdo it.
Overtraining clearly isn't something you want to put your body through when it can have such a detrimental impact on your health. Everyone is different, though, and so what works for you may be harmful to another person, which is why you have to learn what your limits are. A professional sportsman is obviously used to putting his body through intense periods of exercise, having build himself up to that. If you're not very fit, you can't just jump into an intense fitness regime without the possibility of picking up an injury.
You may have a particular goal in mind when deciding to tackle your fitness, such as losing weight or competing in a marathon, so that you become single-minded in your determination to succeed, willing to give up time with friends and family to do some exercise. However, you need to remember that doing too much exercise could actually impede your progress and make it more difficult for you to reach your goal.
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