Exercising gives you the chance to avail of a long list of benefits that your body will thank you for for the rest of your life. Whether you are working out at home or training at the gym, it can make you fit and healthy, and help make you feel better about yourself. By getting into a regular exercise routine, you can lose weight, build muscles, become stronger, and boost your stamina and endurance.
However, just like everything else, too much of it can be harmful to you. If you spend too many hours of your day exercising, your body may start to break down. You lose that big surge of energy that you used to have every time you set foot at the gym or see workout equipment, and it is replaced by negativity that causes you to perform poorly.
Below are the dangers of over exercising that you should be concerned about:
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You are not as motivated as before.
Do I really have to do 10 reps of that exercise again today? Can’t I just skip that one and do the other ones instead? Is it okay if I cut my treadmill time in half because I just don’t feel like running in place for more than an hour?
If you start asking yourself the questions above, you are exhibiting signs of decreased motivation. You begin to bargain for easier routines or shorter workout time, so that you can do something else. This can be a result of subjecting yourself to more exercise than you can handle during the first few weeks or months of your fitness journey. Eventually, you just lose the drive to go on.
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Your performance declines.
When working out, it is important to keep track of how you are doing each day to know if you are progressing over time. If the results show that you are able to do more reps now than two weeks ago, this is a good sign. You should keep up the good work, and aim for a higher goal.
However, if you start noticing a drop in your performance, you may be overworked. If, on your running sessions, the distances that you are covering get shorter and shorter as the days go by, your body may be telling you that it cannot perform as well. It needs a break to fix what needs to be fixed.
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You are taking longer to recover.
Soreness is common when exercising. It happens even to those who stretch or warm-up before their main workout routine. It usually goes away after a day or two of resting, and leads to stronger tissues and muscles.
But what if you are suffering from pains and aches longer than what the people around you are saying is the norm? Should you be very concerned that there is something serious going on because you have a hard time getting up from bed or bending over to pick something up for close to a week now? Over exercising can beat your body up so badly that it will leave you in a terrible condition.
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You get fatigued.
Has waking up in the morning to start your workout become very challenging? Do you still feel yesterday’s hard work even after getting eight uninterrupted hours of sleep last night?
Allocating more hours to training than recommended is bound to get you fatigued, both mentally and physically. You will have a hard time focusing on your routines and cheering yourself on to persevere. You will also feel your arms, legs, and other body parts unable to endure extended workouts any longer, as they have become overworked.
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You lose your appetite.
Eating healthy is an excellent companion for any exercise routine. If your diet consists of fruits, vegetables, and other natural and organic food items that are rich in vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that your body needs for sustenance, you are well on your way to achieving your health and fitness goals.
However, if you exercise too much, you may suffer from loss of appetite. It is very likely connected to the decline in motivation, fatigue, and other negative side effects that arise from overtraining.
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You have trouble sleeping.
The quality of your sleep is highly dependent on your health. If your body is at its 100%, it is easier for you to enjoy many hours of deep, undisrupted slumber every night. This allows you to live a healthy and well-conditioned mind and body that helps increase your productivity and efficiency at work or in school.
Unfortunately, if you are suffering from the negative effects of over exercising, your sleep patterns are affected. It can be hard to fall asleep if you are constantly feeling back pains, muscle aches, and other ailments. In addition to that, because your mind is troubled with worry and fear about your workout regimen and progress, your brain goes a thousand miles per hour, figuring out what has gone wrong, and trying to find solutions, resulting to you barely getting a wink of sleep.
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You are frequently in a bad mood.
Does failing to meet your expectations make you upset? Did your last exercise session leave you disappointed in your poor performance? How long does that feeling typically last?
If you think that you are giving everything that you can but are not seeing the results, you cannot help but feel frustrated and disheartened. In the beginning, you may have imagined yourself as this strong and hardworking man who welcomes all the challenges that come his way, without making a single complaint, and eventually rises above them victorious. However, what you are seeing in front of the mirror, at the moment, is someone who has lost all will and inspiration to move forward, someone who angry, irritated, anxious, and depressed.
If exercising has become like a chore, you should take a step back, and assess your situation. You may have to alter your fitness regimen, with the help of a fitness or medical professional, so that you can feel once again that fire and adrenaline rush that you once had.
