Everyone knows that part of being healthy is exercising regularly. It is recommended that the average person exercises at least three to five times per week. If exercising five hours a week is good for you, exercising 15 hours must be great, right? Maybe not.

According to Ryne DeVries, DC, assistant professor and faculty clinician at Northwestern Health Sciences University, exercising can become an obsession, and there are numerous risks and consequences to pushing yourself too hard. It’s important to have a day off during your workout cycle for your muscles to recover and rebuild.

According to Dr. DeVries, some risks of over-exercising include:

• Difficulty sleeping and chronic fatigue;
• Symptoms of depression;
• Nausea;
• Hormone fluctuations;
• Irregular menstrual cycles;
• Bone loss;
• Weakened immune system; and
• Sports-related injury or muscle strain.

So why do people choose to over-exercise? “Some people over-exercise out of habit,” says Dr. DeVries. “Other reasons are a misunderstanding of fitness – the idea that more is better. Other reasons are body image or an obsessive compulsive nature.”

The following may be signs of over-exercising:

• Exercising with an injury – this could cause a minor injury to become chronic;
• Feeling guilty when unable to exercise;
• Avoiding other responsibilities in order to exercise;
• Basing happiness on how productive the daily workout was; and
• Not progressing – performance dropping.

To maintain a healthy workout routine, it’s important to know what your goals are – weight loss, strength training, endurance, etc. – to determine what exercises are right for you. Dr. DeVries recommends working with a personal trainer or coach to maximize benefits.

A regular exercise routine is important to keep yourself fit and healthy. Keep in mind that exercising at a healthy level and giving your body time to rest is important to avoid health risks and injury. And remember, more is not always better.

Sources: Natural News Service, Northwestern Health Sciences University, August 2009