Regular exercise can do wonders for your health, but did you know that too much exercise can be dangerous?
Regular exercise can do wonders for your health, but did you know that too much exercise can be dangerous?
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.
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:
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:
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
.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.
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.
Other signs that you’re doing too much exercise include:
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
.Important: Our website provides useful information but is not a substitute for medical advice. You should always seek the advice of your doctor when making decisions about your health.