The dangers of too much exercise

Can too much exercise be dangerous? Find out what happens if you exercise too much and if there’s such a thing as exercise addiction. 


What happens if you exercise too much?

How much exercise is too much?

What to do if you think you’re exercising too much



According to The Centre for Clinical Interventions (CCI), exercising for more than 1 hour a day can increase your risk of injury or lead to a serious medical problem.

Here’s how to spot the signs of too much exercise and what to do if you’re exercising too much. 

## What happens if you exercise too much?
Pushing yourself too hard for too long can cause a variety of problems. The obvious danger of doing too much exercise is the potential for injuries, such as a sprain or torn ligament. 

However, exercising too much can also lead to less obvious health problems, such as: 

- depression
- anxiety
- a weakened immune system
- [irregular or absent periods](/periods/periods-irregular)
- permanent joint damage
- problems with your digestive system
- heart problems

![Too much exercise ](//images.ctfassets.net/iqo3fk8od6t9/3qShnAkoWRdVphy0g0Ml5v/6ee3dbd00472a0e51f3be6db9d08a1ae/too-much-exercise-overtraining.jpg)

### Exercise addiction and unhealthy habits
For some people, exercise can become addictive. When this happens, exercise may turn into something you have to do, and you may feel guilty or anxious when you can’t do it. You may also notice that:

- friends or family members seem concerned about how much you exercise
- exercise is no longer fun but you feel compelled to keep training
- you skip work, school or social events to exercise
- you feel like you need to exercise even though you’re injured or sore
- you struggle to focus when you’re not exercising

Exercise addiction is not formally recognised as a mental health condition, but it can be very unhealthy. Exercise addiction can also be associated with certain [eating disorders](/eating-disorders). 

If you think you may be addicted to exercise, speak to a doctor. They will be able to examine your habits and help you tackle them safely.


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## How much exercise is too much?
The right amount of exercise depends on your age and overall fitness. To maintain good health, adults aged 19 to 64 should aim to do around 150 minutes of moderate exercise each week and do some form of physical activity every day.

A good way to hit the recommended weekly exercise goal is to do 30 minutes of moderate exercise 5 days a week. You can combine intense and moderate aerobic exercise to give your body plenty of time to recover.

If you do more than 1 hour of intense exercise every day, you may be doing too much.

![The dangers of too much exercise - muscle pain](//images.ctfassets.net/iqo3fk8od6t9/3aWsR4Xwhal3xIApPNMRTP/6282306fa92271bdd58a100e4c5e7fd1/muscle-pain-man-on-bike.jpg)

### Signs that you’re exercising too much
Other signs that you’re doing too much exercise include:

- muscle pain that doesn't go away after a couple of days
- a drop in your athletic performance, despite a vigorous exercise programme
- feeling tired all the time
- feeling anxious
- loss of motivation 


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## What to do if you think you’re exercising too much
If you think you may be doing too much exercise, try cutting back or resting for 1 to 2 weeks. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, it can take up to 2 weeks to recover from the symptoms of too much exercise.

If you struggle to cut down on exercise, see a doctor. They may refer you to a health professional who specialises in compulsive disorders or [cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)](/mental-health-therapy/cognitive-behavioural-therapy).

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All of Healthily's articles undergo medical safety checks to verify that the information is medically safe. View more details in our <a href="/safety" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">safety page</a>, or read our <a href="/legal/editorial-policy-principles" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">editorial policy</a>.

Can too much exercise be dangerous?

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