Exercise and Working Out: Is There Such A Thing As Too Much?

Exercising and working out becomes more complicated for some athletes.  Although athletes are expected to train hard in order to perform well, some athletes take this to the extreme.  How do you know when you are exercising too much? 

Generally speaking, if you are working out more than your coach recommends it is time to ask yourself: Why?  Do you tell yourself that working out longer, harder, and more frequently will give you a competitive edge?  Up to a point, that may be true; however, it is also true that your body needs to rest.  Giving your body some "down time" allows it to repair itself.  Without this time you put yourself at greater risk for injury which may keep you from working out altogether.

If you are not a competitive athlete and do not have a coach it may be helpful for you to consult with an athletic trainer.  He/She will be able to help you designed a training program to meet your athletic goals.  It is important; however, to be sure to find a trainer that is sensitive to eating concerns and the risks of overexercising.  If you work with someone who is not knowledgeable about the risks associated with eating concerns, your trainer may recommend a harmful rather than beneficial training regimen. 

As noted in my post dated May 21, if you are struggling with an eating disorder your bone health may be compromised.  If this is true, you are at greater risk for stress fractures - and if you overexercise you are at an even greater risk.  Stress fractures and other bone injuries can side line you temporarily or permanently depending on your injury.

Please be sure to consider your overall health when exercising.  While it is true that exercise has numerous mental and physical health benefits, it IS possible to over do it.  Remember to eat reasonably AND to exercise reasonably.

Comments

[rachel]

Eating disorders and over-exercising are certainly a bad combination! In regards to bone health and eating disorders, I thought this article might interest you:
http://www.casapalmera.com/articles/reasons-why-anorexia-may-be-a-cause-for-osteoporosis/.

Keep up the good work!