by Katarzyna Radzka

Created on: September 07, 2009

Exercise has been proven to offer a multitude of benefits. From improved health and general well-being, to better sleep, higher fitness levels, a better working heart, improvement in mood and elevated energy levels throughout the day. With so many benefits, it's difficult to find a reason or excuse not to exercise. That's great, it means more and more people are getting their daily recommended amount of exercise for better health and fitness. However, there is a percentage of individuals who aren't necessary athletes or celebrities, who take exercise to the extreme, and instead of gaining benefits they are slowly hurting themselves as their health deteriorates. Too much exercise can be even more harmful than not getting enough.

1 - Exercising too much can lead to lower immunity and higher risk of getting an injury. When we exercise too much, or over train, our bodies don't get enough rest in order to regenerate and recharge the batteries. This leads to fatigue, decreased strength and mental ability, and injury. Cold and flues instead of being rare, come and go regularly. Shin splints, ankle pains and muscle soreness become common symptoms. Our bodies need rest. Unless you're an athlete and exercise under the supervision of a trainer or coach and have doctors and nutritionists on hand, there's no need to train for hours every day and refuse to take a day off. An hour to an hour and a half of exercise five or six days a week is enough for optimal health and well being.

2 - Too much exercise can lead to a deterioration of your social life. When we over train, exercise becomes the centre of our lives, it begins to take control of everything we do. It's impossible to work, go out or do anything else. We plan our day around exercise and not the other way around. This is unhealthy because it's when exercise becomes an obsession and damages our physical and mental health. If you're declining social invitations regularly because you have to hit the gym, than you should analyse your attitude towards exercise.

3 - Putting a constant strain on your heart and other organs through exercise is only asking for disaster. A moderate amount of exercise during the week is great for heart health and reducing our risk of developing preventable diseases. However, too much exercise especially the strenuous and intensive type can have damaging affects on our heart, which can lead to stroke or a heart attack. Another side effect is depression. Moderate exercise increase endorphins production and gives us an elevated mood resulting in increased happiness. Too much exercise has the opposite effect because our lives are centred around working out and we lose focus on the other parts of our lives like work, family, friends.

The key to a healthy exercise program is to have a healthy attitude. Exercise is important but not when it takes over our lives. Taking time off is also important for our minds and our bodies. About an hour of exercise five times per week is enough to stay healthy, fit and reduce our risk of developing heart disease, high cholesterol, depression or diabetes among others.

Learn more about this author, Katarzyna Radzka.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.