Are you trying to lose weight? If you are, you’re probably paying a little more attention to your diet and physical activity as of late, but there is one thing you might never thought you’d be at risk of: over-exercising.
Many people who get excited about weight loss end up signing up for a gym membership or starting a new fitness routine. That’s fantastic, but you have to be careful not to harm yourself. The biggest mistake people make when trying to lose weight is getting a whim of inspiration and then going from couch potato to trying to run a marathon overnight.
This is a surefire way to not only burn yourself out fast, but potentially even injure yourself due to over-exertion, improper technique, and muscle strain. You need to start slow and work your way up, which takes time. So, many people will make another big mistake: being over-realistic in their workout routines.
If you are working out for a long period of time, multiple times a day, or even multiple times a week, you are at risk for potentially “over doing it”. If your routine involves lifting heavy weights or high intensity cardio, the risk is multiplied.
Obviously, your body would benefit greatly if you have a simple workout routine, like going on a walk everyday. However, if you plan on going to the gym 7 days a week to lift weights or workout hard, you should probably rethink that plan.
When your body exercises, you create tiny tears in your muscles fibers. High intensity workouts, pushing yourself past your comfort zone, and lifting heavy weights results in even more tiny tears. When your body gets the chance (like when you’re sleeping at night) it will work to repair these tiny tears, thus making your muscles stronger.
The same thing happens in your heart, where increased strength means more efficient blood flow and also more endurance overtime.
Of course, if you’re working out at a moderate or intense level, simply giving your body 8-12 hours of sleep every night isn’t enough for everything to fully repair itself. You also need to be giving your body a rest day once a week where you take things easy. On your rest day, you might go for a walk or participate in some other low-intensity activity.
Be sure you nourish your body on a rest day. The point isn’t to “cheat” your diet, it’s to allow your body to restore itself so you can keep moving forward.
