Health

Exercise: How Much Is Too Much?

We all know that getting plenty of regular exercises is essential if you want to give yourself the best chance of staying fit and healthy but is there an argument for saying that you can actually do too much?

You can keep up to date on the latest health and fitness trends on sites like conservehealth and will probably find some new exercise routines to try.

The question to consider amongst that enthusiasm for keeping fit is what the level is when it comes to doing too much.

No easy answer

We all have different health and body profiles and these are constantly evolving as we get older and make changes to our lifestyle. This means that you can’t have any hard and fast rules when it comes to saying exactly how much exercise is too much.

Although it is usually easy to know when you are not getting enough exercise it is much harder to set the gauge at the other end of the scale.

Your aim is to try and find what you might call the sweet spot for exercise.

Follow the guidelines

One of the easiest ways of working out the optimum level of exercise you need is to be guided by official recommendations, such as those issued by the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

They suggest that if you are aged somewhere between 18 and 64, all adults of working age, basically, your aim should be to achieve a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity on a weekly basis. It also suggests that you should raise your heart rate with at least 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity each week.

The benefits of this minimum level of exercise are numerous. It also helps if you can incorporate weekly workouts that are designed to improve your muscle strength and maintain a good level of balance.

Overstepping the mark

It is easy to get carried away with the progress you are making with your exerciser routine, especially if you start to feel fitter and healthier as a result of your regime.

However, there is a recognized problem with doing too much and it is often referred to as overtraining.

It pays to understand the mechanics of what is happening to your body when you exercise.

What you are actually doing is breaking down your muscle fibers, but this is seen as a positive thing as your body is capable of replenishing and rebuilding them while making you stronger in the process.

Where the problem lies with overdoing your exercise routine is you are not giving your body enough time to carry out those repairs. This is recognized as overtraining syndrome and it describes a scenario where you put your body under chronic stress.

How can you tell you are doing too much?

As outlined earlier, there is no specific benchmark to gauge against as there are so many individual factors to take into consideration.

However, if you start to feel you are no longer making progress with your fitness goals or you start to gain weight, these are two classic signs that your body might be under chronic stress are you are doing too much exercise.

It is a good idea to get professional guidance when it comes to working out a suitable exercise routine so that you have a clear idea of how much exercise is just right for you.

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