When Does Exercise Become Unhealthy?

By: J.C. Lara

We all know that to keep fit and healthy we should exercise on a regular basis. Regular exercise has proven to reduce the risk of many preventable diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and stroke. Regular exercise also helps us to lose weight and maintain our optimum body weight. It increases our energy levels and releases the bodys natural feel good chemicals to makes us feel happy and alive. However, exercise can become unhealthy when we over do it.

So, how do we know when too much exercise is not good for us? Well, there are tell-tale signs. Over training can make you feel exhausted and lethargic. This is usually accompanied by feelings of irritability and mood swings. Other signs can include a loss of appetite, sleeplessness and anxiety. These are just a few as there are more. These symptoms are the result of compounded body fatigue that has been built up over time due to over doing your exercise and training.

Another factor is lack of recovery. Many people think the best way to get fit is to do more. This belief has been proved wrong by numerous medical studies which have shown that the body needs to recover after intensive exercise. With no time to recover your bodys performance and health will deteriorate.

Exercise fatigue can also be caused by eating an inadequate diet. When you do exercise on a regular basis your body needs more nutrients and carbohydrates to feed and power the body. A lack of these will weaken the body and increase your risk of infections and viruses. Dehydration can cause numerous problems that include exhaustion and migraines. It is important that you hydrate your body with plenty of fluids such as filtered water.

If you do regular exercise and you are experiencing some are all of these symptoms then you need to change your training habits. The first thing you need to do is to reduce the amount and intensity of your fitness program. If this shows no signs of reducing and improving the symptoms then you may need to consider a period of recovery. The length of the recovery will depend on the severity of the symptoms you are experiencing. Try taking a complete rest for either 2 to 4 weeks and then monitor your condition. If your health improves then gradually introduce your training routine. Make sure that you include plenty of recovery periods within your training program. If you are a women and your periods stop or become irregular then stop your training and see a doctor immediately.

About the Author:
With over 3 years writing experience, J C Lara about topics that fascinate him. Currently he has a new site that provides information and advice on 3 man tent products including Coleman 3 Room Tent accessories.