Working Out Too Much | It can help you lose weight or maintain a healthy weight, stave off illnesses, and improve your overall mood and well-being.
However, there are some individuals who become addicted to exercise and end up exercising too much, which can result in excess wear and tear on the body, as well as on the mind.
These types of individuals may obsess over exercise for any one of several reasons, such as not feeling as if they are working hard enough to lose weight as it is, or feeling as if they aren’t doing enough to stay healthy in general.
How can you tell if you’re exercising too much?
Take a look at these 12 signs that could indicate you may have an addiction to exercise, or that your current exercise habits are unhealthy.
- You feel guilty or depressed if you don’t get around to exercising every single day.
- You insist on exercising even on days you feel tired, exhausted, or ill.
- You judge your days as either “good” or “bad” based on how much you end up exercising.
- You judge your self-worth on how much you exercise every day.
- You end up feeling worse instead of better after exercising.
- You tend to become ill frequently and have a difficult time recovering physically.
- Your self-esteem is generally maintained by how much you exercise daily.
- You exercise every day to compensate for eating too much, or just for eating in general.
- You become very upset and angry when life (work, family, weather) interferes with your ability to exercise.
- You insist on exercising alone because you feel that others will slow down your workout progress.
- You cancel plans and social obligations so you can exercise instead.
- You make all plans around your strict exercise schedule.
If you find that you are suffering from several of the signs listed above, then you may need to seek professional help or take steps to form a more healthy relationship with exercise.
Here are two steps you can take to scale back on your exercise routine.
1. Stop holding yourself to a strict exercise schedule
View exercise as more of a fun activity, and not as something you need to do in order to have a good day. Then, at times when you feel like exercising, ask yourself which exercise sounds most fun, and do that particular workout, instead of choosing the workout you think will burn the most calories or make you work the hardest.
2. Do only the exercise that your body can handle
If you’re feeling a bit fatigued or too tired, either consider taking a break from working out on that particular day, or do something less intense, such as yoga moves that allow you to de-stress and relax or a walk around your neighborhood. Doing more than your body can handle could result in injury and can leave you feeling worse afterward.
