Love to workout? Don't overdo it!

Udita Madan

Exercise is always considered good for health. Without adding physical activity in your fitness routines or weight loss routines, it's next to impossible to achieve the desired goal.

Hitting the gym, a jog in the park, brisk walking, swimming, cycling, yoga, practicing martial arts, etc., can be a part of your regular exercise routines.

Many people exercise to remain fit, others do it to achieve a particular weight goal, some even suffer from lack of it. But there are also those, who soon become addicted to their workout and intentionally or unintentionally overdo it.

Like excess of anything is bad for health, too much of exercise can be harmful too. This is why it is important that you give the body a much-deserved break when it needs to rest after strenuous workouts.

Therefore, it's important to be well aware of the negative aspects of over-exercising.

1. Osteoarthritis:

Also referred to as degenerative joint disease, osteoarthritis causes inflammation of the joints in the body. One of the risk factors that may contribute to the health condition is too much exercise.

2. Targets mental health:

Exercise and physical activity play a crucial role in shaping your own image about yourself and your life as a whole. According to studies, excessive exercise causes poor mental health, sometimes resulting in depression.

3. Menstrual problems:

Women who indulge in vigorous exercise, may have irregular periods, heavy or loss of their normal menstrual cycles. You need to review your current nutritional status, exercise regimen and overall health in such circumstances.

4. Eating disorders:

Those who are addicted to exercising have just fitness goals in mind. In their quest to achieve the desired fitness goal, they become prone to various eating disorders. Such people are more likely to fall bait to disorders such as bulimia and anorexia.

5. Fatigue:

Over exercising leaves you drained. Mental or physical exhaustion can affect you in several ways. Your arduous exercise routine doesn’t let your body rejuvenate and you are left fatigued and tired with no energy left for anything else. You may also develop chronic fatigue syndrome.

6. Hampers heart health:

While exercising, the heart rate temporarily increases. Over-exercising can put stress on the heart to get back to normal heart rate. Moreover, there is always a lurking risk of a heart attack during exercise if you have a known problem with your heart.

7. Sore muscles:

Constant muscle soreness is one of the signs that you are exercising more than you should. Joints, bones and limbs may start to hurt when there is an overuse of muscles. Whether you are doing strength training or cardio, ensure that your body gets enough time to revitalize.

8. Sleep problems:

In a state of overload, you are at a greater risk of falling victim to sleep problems and even insomnia. When your muscles are overworked, you become restless and have problems falling asleep.

9. Impacts immunity:

If you are prone to falling ill with common cold or seasonal flu and other minor infections, over exercising could be the culprit. Excessive exercise suppresses your immune system, leading to frequent viral infections.

10. Backache:

An overdose of exercise can overwork the back muscles and can also sometimes place unwanted stress on the spine, which may result in a backache.

Happy workout!