How much exercise is too much?
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Can you get too much of a good thing? Exercise physiologist Andrew Cate reveals the risks of exercising too much, and offers some tips on how to get the balance right.
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What is the right amount of exercise?
Public health authorities consistently encourage us to move more. We are told that regular exercise and physical activity needs to be increased to improve both physical and mental wellbeing.When this information is provided generally, it’s reasonable to assume that the health benefits are dose responsive, in that the more you exercise, the healthier you will be. But that’s not always the case, and there are many individual variables that need to be considered, including:
- Activity type
- Exercise intensity
- Training duration
- Health status
- Injury history
The positive outweighs the negative when it comes to exercise
An Australian study examined the benefits and risks associated with walking/running, playing sport, and resistance training. The researchers found that the positives do outweigh the negatives, both physically, mentally and socially.Some of the more specific findings included:
- Moderate amounts of exercise and sport participation provide the widest range of biological benefits, providing optimal balance
- The most potential harm comes with low or high participation in exercise
- The intensity of exercise should be specific to an individual's capacity
- There is no association between participation in sport and exercise and the onset of degenerative bone disorders
- Club and team-based sports are associated with greater social wellbeing than other forms of physical activity
Getting the balance right
It seems that too little, and too much exercise can both be damaging to your health. So how do you get the balance right?- Start with moderation – The general recommendation is to perform 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity each week, combined with around two resistance sessions in that time. This is a helpful guide, and people like to have numbers and specifics to work off. But don’t just rely on this measure. It might be a little too much exercise if you are a beginner, and not enough of you are a competitive runner. It’s just a guide
- Experiment, and find what’s right for you – Every type of exercise will have benefits and negatives associated with it. They key is to find an activity, or variety of activities, that appeal to your needs and interest. It’s then up to you to develop an exercise routine that works best for your body, and this will take time to develop and evolve. Continue to modify and adapt your exercise routine through changes such as increased fitness, seasonal variations, planned competition, illness and injury
- Know the markers of inactivity – As mentioned in the study above, too little exercise can be damaging to your health. Identify methods that set off red flags if your activity levels fall too low, such as an activity journal, your waist measurement, a less comfortable fit of a belt or pair of jeans, blood pressure, or just puffing after walking up a flight of stairs
- Know the markers of over-activity – As mentioned in the study above, too much exercise can be damaging to your health. This is often referred to as over-training, and some common symptoms include fatigue, a drop in your physical performance, soreness in your muscles or joints, and increased incidence of colds and infection
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