Exercise is a great way to stay fit, relieve stress, and care for your well-being. However, over-exercise (like anything else) can do the opposite! Dr Meera Sinha physiologist and wellness coach from Mumbai states, “The body needs movement, but it needs rest. When you are harming your body with more than it can recover from, you are not building or increasing its strength; you are breaking it down.”
Here are five ways over-exercising can harm your health and what you should do instead.
1. Chronic Fatigue and Low Energy: Exercising too hard, and too soon can lead to persistent feelings of fatigue during the day. Instead of leaving a workout on the high of a post-exercise euphoria, you fade into fatigue, brain fog, and lethargy. What to do: Make sure to schedule at least 1–2 rest days in your weekly training plan and get at least 7-8 hours sleep each night to allow your body the time it needs to repair.
2. Increased Risk of Injuries: Repeated hard workouts increase the potential for excessive strain, sprains, and stress fractures. Your muscles, joints, and ligaments want time to recover and rebuild. What to do: Use a mix of high and low-impact workouts, and don’t skip your warm-ups and cool-downs. And listen to your body—it is a pain signal, not a challenge, if you feel pain.
3. Hormonal Imbalances: Working out too much especially alongside poor nutrition can alter hormones such as cortisol, estrogen, and testosterone, which can lead to problems like missed periods in girls and decreased libido in guys. What to do: Make sure you are consuming well-balanced meals that fuel your workouts and speak to a medical professional if you notice any changes in your mood, emotions, and/or your menstrual cycle.
4. Weak Immune Function: Too much exercise can temporarily lower your immune function, which will increase susceptibility to colds, infections, and fatigue. What to do: Drink enough water, eat plenty of nutritious whole food, and include active recovery such as walks or restorative yoga to alleviate some of the physical stress from your workouts without further burdening your body.
5. Mental Burnout and Anxiety: Over-training can impact mental health. If your workouts feel like punishment or you feel guilt from skipping a session oftentimes it is likely a sign of exercise addiction.
What to do:
Focus on how you feel rather than how many calories you burn. Consider cross-training or trying new movement styles to keep things fun and sustainable.
Disclaimer: This article, including health and fitness advice, only provides generic information. Don’t treat it as a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist for specific health diagnosis
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