The mental health charity MIND is reminding people that while exercise is a good thing, some people are taking it too far, often as an antidote to the stress and anxieties of life and keeping fit can then become an obsession.
Over-training the body without taking time to rest can impact both physically and mentally and lead to a condition known as over-training syndrome.
MIND says signs of over-exercising can include:
The best approach is to avoid getting to that stage in the first place by setting realistic goals, especially ones that aren't based around your weight or shape, trying some low impact exercise like walking, yoga or stretching, or a similar activity that doesn't work your muscles too hard.
The best way to help prevent overtraining syndrome is to follow a training schedule that varies your training and includes rest days and to remember not every day will lead to a personal best, and that's okay. Above all be kind to yourself.
The first step for treatment is recognising that you have the condition. The only effective treatment for excessive over-training is rest. Whether the rest period lasts weeks or months depends on the individual in conjunction with professional advice. The specialists recommend continuing to participate in low intensity exercise but choosing activities unrelated to the sport that led to your burnout.
Whenever you're engaged in any physical activity, it is important to listen to your body. Notice when you may be working too hard and give yourself permission to rest. Exercise is addictive, because the more it releases the good endorphins, and the more results you see, the more you want to continue to exercise. Addictive isn't good. It's also dangerous.
Source: https://www.verywellfit.com https://www.livestrong.com https://www.bbc.co.uk/news
This is very sound advice, Ilana. I recall a former neighbour who struggled with obsessive over-exercising and she lost a lot of weight very quickly and suffered with poor health as a result and I think including Osteoporosis.
The important thing is to listen to your body and be mindful about any activity that has potential to be harmful.
Thank you. Yes, you wouldn't anticipate or expect to hear about poor health around exercise in that way, but it is absolutely true.
Too much exercise can lead to conditions like osteoporosis. It is important to think about lifestyle too, because often it is our lifestyle that is responsible.
OCD is another condition that is responsible for how frequently we exercise and should not be ignored.