No pain, no gain is the fitness realm’s absolute mindset for a successful fitness journey. However, not all workout pains are pleasurable once you push your limits. Every year, eight million Americans injure themselves from physical activities, and over 400,000 cases are from over-exercising. While working out offers numerous health benefits, too much can cause your health to deteriorate. But how can people know when they toe the line and stay fit and healthy?
For decades, several studies proved several benefits of exercise in the body. Engaging in regular physical activities helps in managing weight and reducing the risks of chronic diseases like diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and arthritis. Moreover, moderate workout routines strengthen your bones and muscles, which improves your daily performance.
“Routine physical activity is also associated with improved psychological well-being. Psychological well-being is particularly important for the prevention and management of cardiovascular diseases.” -Darren E.R. Warburton, Co-Director, Physical Activity Promotion, and Chronic Disease Prevention Unit, University of British Columbia.
When Does Over-Exercising Happen?
Although health experts mention that people have different limitations in exercising, aggressive approaches to workouts can make you exert yourself more than you should. People can overdo their training regimen in two ways: overtraining and compulsive exercising.
Overtraining happens when you push yourself too hard too quickly. You keep increasing the intensity and duration of your workouts without allowing your body enough time to recuperate or rest. In addition, not putting the same nutritional value in your daily meals can lead to overtraining. Your body burns and uses micronutrients twice as fast, and following the wrong diet plan means not replenishing those essential minerals.
Compulsive exercising happens when working out stops becoming an activity you want to do, instead becoming a task you must do. It can also occur when you get addicted to exercising. Unlike over-trainers, psychological factors are present in compulsive exercisers. These people no longer find exercising enjoyable and are doing it to avoid feeling guilty or anxious.
People who overexercise can experience constant fatigue, muscle soreness, and tiredness lasting for more than four days, a weaker immune response, and recurring injuries. Overexercising massively affects your mood and energy resulting in irritation, insomnia, and loss of appetite. The lack of rest also increases the risks of tendinitis, joint pains, and stress fractures. Over time, it can lead to kidney damage and heart disease.
“High to extreme amounts of exercise training have been associated with negative effects on cardiac health, including increased coronary artery calcification, myocardial fibrosis, and arrhythmia.” – Mikael Flockhart, Research Assistant, The Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences
Bold Workout Ideas to Stay Fit and Fabulous
The road to fitness is about repetition, enjoyment, and time. A successful fitness journey is a gradual process of diet and workouts. While it feels great to lose weight fast, there is more to exercise than getting rid of those extra pounds. A well-rounded routine ensures that every part of your body moves and exerts the same effort. The ideal way of doing this is by setting bold fitness goals that you can achieve through your daily workout routine.
(Project Bold Life has discussed the importance of exercise beyond weight loss before – read more about it here!)
Nowadays, the amount of workout regimens you can follow is increasing, and choosing the best one can be overwhelming. But the key to a safe training program is developing your physical foundation. Fitness training programs balance all the elements your body needs to stay fit and healthy. Here are some bold fitness ideas you can add to your daily training programs.
Aerobic Exercises
Aerobics or cardio activities are at the center of many fitness training regimens. These exercises make you breathe deeper and faster. When your heart pumps harder, you get better blood flow allowing more oxygen to enter your muscles.
Aerobic activity makes your organs work more efficiently. Because of that, you can find it easier to finish your daily physical tasks. Health professionals recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity daily or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobics weekly. Brisk walking, jogging, biking, and swimming are some of the most recommended aerobic exercises you can add to your daily workout routine.
Strength Training
Strength training is an essential part of a bold fitness training program. Widely known as resistance or muscular training, these exercises help increase your bone strength and enhance muscle fitness. They are any physical activity that uses your body weight or equipment to build muscle mass and endurance.
Many people focus on developing their muscle endurance and strength, but you can also do circuit training for a well-rounded muscle exercise. Although most of these exercises need gym equipment like resistance and weight machines, handheld or homemade weights can also work fine. Adding these exercises to your workout routine and doing strength training for all muscle groups at least twice a week can do wonders for your mobility, flexibility, blood sugar, heart, and self-esteem.
“Benefits of resistance training include improved physical performance, movement control, walking speed, functional independence, cognitive abilities, and self-esteem.” – Wayne L. Westcott, Fitness Research Director, South Shore YMCA.
Hard Work Is Not Always Painful
Pain in training programs is inevitable but experiencing more than usual doesn’t equal success. The best fitness journey is the right combination of pain and pleasure. Daily workout routines are more effective when people follow the required intensity, duration, and process of every exercise. Exercising too much will only add to and worsen your current health problems. Keep in mind that working out is for fitness, health, and enjoyment. No more, no less.
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