Introduction
Since exercise is so good for the body, health practitioners frequently concentrate on how to convince individuals to do enough of it in their everyday lives.
Maybe you can’t imagine going a day without experiencing the endorphin rush of a good exercise.
Perhaps exercise helps you feel present in your body, and you’re concerned that if you don’t do it, you won’t be able to maintain a positive outlook. Alternatively, you may employ exercise to keep yourself from having to worry about what you eat.
For whatever reason, you may have too much of a good thing, so we’re here to help you figure out if your fitness routine is pushing your mind and body too far.
Is Over-Exercising Even A Thing?
Of course, it is.
In fact, many people tend to get seriously sick when they exercise too much. This is because the adrenaline that pumps into their bodies due to exercise is like an addiction that people can’t get enough of.
There are many rehabilitation centers that treat exercise addiction as a serious issue. You can check out our New York drug rehab – Ascendant, and find out if you are overexercising or not.
There’s no need to be discouraged if the answers to your questions lead you to assume you’re over-exercising. You might be able to take a break and continue exercising more gently once you’ve recovered. However, it is occasionally necessary to seek expert assistance. Overtraining Syndrome is a relatively new notion, but it does have treatment options.
Over-exercising may necessitate seeking expert assistance for two reasons. The first reason is if you have a physical injury as a result of your training, you will benefit from or only recover with medical assistance.
The second is if you’re starting to experience the overtraining syndrome. In such a scenario, speaking with a mental health expert can help you get back on track so that exercise benefits your emotional well-being rather than harming it.
Signs Of Over-Exercising
Maintaining your fitness level despite having a hectic schedule speaks volumes of your commitment to exercise.
While we can’t help but praise you for your strict exercise regime, there are some red flags to look for here.
Let’s check them out:
1: Frequent Muscle Soreness
If you have muscle soreness that lasts three days or more, you’ve likely overexerted yourself.
Your body needs time to recuperate after hard or intensive exercise, and chronic, unrelenting discomfort indicates that it isn’t receiving that time.
Allow your body to heal by taking it easy.
2: Weaker Immune System
Most active and healthy people have a strong immune system and rarely have more than a minor cold every now and again.
So if you’re getting ill more frequently than usual, or if you’re just feeling terrible and tired in general, your body is probably in need of a rest.
People who exercise tend to have a strong immune system, but if you exercise more than your body can take, it will lead to a weaker immune system.
Also Read: Effective Home Workout Exercises
3: Inadvertent Weight Loss
While most people would love to gain a few pounds by mistake, if you’re experiencing inadvertent weight loss and aren’t aiming to lose weight, it might be due to overtraining.
Always make sure you’re receiving enough nourishment and try to take a rest once in a while.
Over-exercising is not the healthy way to lose weight, so stop treating it like one.
4: Increased Injuries
A healthy route is one in which you feel your strength and stamina improving with each workout.
Overdoing it is obvious when you feel like you’re going backward, whether that means plateauing or facing more muscle injuries than ever.
Frequent injuries are one of the top warning signs of over-exercising, so see a doctor before the injury turns into something a lot worse.
5: Faster Heart Rate Than Usual
Most really fit persons have a resting heart rate of less than 50 or 60 beats per minute.
If you’re in good shape but your heart rate is much higher than usual, you might want to take a vacation from exercise.
There is a slew of applications that can track your resting heart rate these days so that you can measure your usual heart rate and act accordingly.
6: Loss Of Motivation
If you’re a regular exerciser, but you’re losing motivation to work out, it might be your body’s way of telling you that you need to take a break.
Take a few days or maybe a week off to see if you can rekindle your motivation. Alternatively, you may just require a break from rigorous training or your chosen sport.
Try substituting nature walks, new learning-style classes, or a casual game of tennis or basketball that is completely different from your usual workouts.
7: Feeling Irritated
Have you been feeling particularly agitated lately?
If you’re feeling irritation along with one or more of these other symptoms, you’re probably overexerting yourself.
Take a few days off now and again to save yourself. If you’re often weary, especially during your workouts, your body isn’t getting the healing tools it needs to benefit from exercise’s energy-boosting effects.
8: You Can’t Fall Asleep
Sleeplessness can be an indication of too much exercise, whether you’re not sleeping properly or having trouble going asleep at all.
It promotes sleep when you exercise at an appropriate level for your body.
So, if you have trouble sleeping or can’t fall asleep at all, it means you are over-exercising and need to stop.
9: Feeling Tired
Exercise is a mood enhancer, but too much of it might make you feel melancholy or tired all of the time.
Your happy chemicals can’t accomplish their duties if your hormones can’t regulate correctly due to overtraining.
If you feel tired early in the morning when you’ve just woken up from your sleep, it proves you have exercised too much the day before.
10: Losing Hunger
A successful workout should make you look forward to your next meal. If you’re overtraining, though, you might not feel hungry.
Sometimes, people who exercise too much waste so much energy there that they don’t even have the strength to sit at the dinner table and eat.
They want to hit the bed as soon as they reach home, which is not a sign of a healthy workout.
Should You See A Doctor?
If you have a physical injury that isn’t improving, consult a medical practitioner. While small injuries might take longer to heal and don’t generally necessitate medical attention, healing progress should be seen fairly fast.
If you’ve been hurting yourself for weeks and aren’t seeing any improvement despite proper home care, you should seek medical attention.
Alternatively, if you sustain a serious injury, you should seek medical attention. For example, if you suspect anything is broken, dislocated, or otherwise giving you pain, you should seek immediate medical attention to determine what happened and how to best treat it.
On the mental health front, there’s no need to be embarrassed if exercise has become so ingrained in your daily routine that it has harmed your emotional well-being. Likewise, it’s not a big deal if you’re in a foul mood or if you munch excessively for a day or two.
However, if you’re experiencing sadness, are concerned about perhaps training less, or believe you may have acquired an exercise addiction, you should get professional help.
They can help you overcome your urge to rest and reintroduce yourself to exercise in a way that will keep you healthy.
The Bottom Line
Now that you are aware of the signs of over-exercising, you should avoid doing it if you want to be healthy.
We have also advised you to take a step back and take a break from the strict routine, which will help you regain your pace back in a few days.
Also Read: Which Exercises Are The Best In Your Addiction Recovery?