Q. My friends are worried that I exercise too much, but I think exercising keeps you healthy. Is there such a thing as exercising too much?

A. There are indeed many health benefits from exercising regularly.  But there is a dark side to exercise, which is often missed because it’s so revered in our culture. Excessive exercise can lead to injuries or be a component of an eating disorder.

 Many people believe that exercise helps the body burn more calories by speeding up metabolism.  But that’s not the case if you are not eating adequately. Excessive exercise can lower your body’s metabolic rate when you are not eating enough food to fuel your activity. It can be tricky to figure out when you’ve crossed the line from healthy pursuit of physical activity to compulsive exercise.  Here are some warning signs to consider. Do you _______?:

•Continue to work out, even when you are sick?
•Feel guilty if you skip a day of exercise?
•Eat enough to fuel your physical activity?
•Decline activities with friends, such as biking or going for a walk because it seems like a waste of time (it doesn’t “count” as exercise).
•Increase the amount of your exercise if you think that you ate “too much food or too high in calories”

Emerging research is helping define what constitutes a healthy relationship with exercise, which is called mindful exercise.  There are four components to mindful exercise [1]—it is physical activity that:

1.    Rejuvenates, rather than exhausts or depletes.
2.    Enhances the mind-body connection.
3.    Alleviates stress, rather than amplifying stress.
4.    Provides genuine enjoyment and pleasure.

Mindful exercise builds attunement, by placing value on paying attention to how your body feels during and after movement

Resource:
[1] Calogero R and Pedrotty.Daily Practices for Mindful Exercise. pp.141-160 in Handbook of low-cost preventive interventions for physical and mental health: Theory, research, andpractice; L'Abate L., D. Embry, & M. Baggett, Ed. Springer-Verlag. 2007

Resource:

[1] Calogero R and Pedrotty.Daily Practices for Mindful Exercise. pp.141-160 in Handbook of low-cost preventive interventions for physical and mental health: Theory, research, and practice; L'Abate L., D. Embry, & M. Baggett, Ed. Springer-Verlag. 2007

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Copyright © 2010 by Evelyn Tribole, MS, RD  Published at www.EvelynTribole.com

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DISCLAIMER: The information is intended to inform readers and is not intended to replace specific advice from a health care professional. Copyright 2010 Evelyn Tribole, MS, RD