For some reason, we think need to kill ourselves in our workouts. Or if we’re not sore the next day, it wasn’t a good workout. Somewhere along the way, we stopped exercising because we loved feeling our body move and we started because we wanted to “feel” it and we told ourselves to never take a day off.
So how much exercise is too much exercise?
This is honestly a huge can of worms and while I can’t get into everything, it does largely depend on the person, your goals, your program, are you coming back from injury, a setback, etc. So, consider all of that before I continue.
Here’s what I would consider too much exercise: “Any amount of exercise that is more than needed to get the intended result.” The problem with this statement is that “more than needed” can be misconstrued by people and we’re often a poor gauge of what is too much.
Too much exercise can impede the body’s ability to adapt and recover because you’re putting additional stress on it from exercise. More exercise can take away from progress you’re trying to make. If you’ve been away from exercise for a while, for whatever reason, and jump back in way too aggressively either by hard workouts or no rest days, you’re actually doing more damage to yourself.
Your body will adapt, but at a rate that isn’t sustainable or healthy.
So here’s the bottom line (or tips):
– It’s better to go too light than too hard if you’re just getting back to working out
– Soreness is not a “badge of honor” after a workout
– Know your goals and train accordingly
– Get an aerial view of your workout program before deciding to have a killer workout. It’s the entire scope of what you’re doing that matters.
What do you do in workouts? Do you go too hard too fast? Do you take rest days?
