You and exercise are BFFs—and we feel the love. The thing is, like any relationship, you also need to spend time apart. Excessive exercise can actually increase your risk of injury, suppress your immune system, and interfere with your relationships, work, and emotional health.
Are you too gung-ho for your own good? Read on to identify three tell-tale signs, and learn tips about how to crack the health nut in you.
Clue: You feel anxious when life gets in the way of your workouts. An impromptu invitation to have brunch with friends, a sinus headache—those things will have to wait their turn. Exercise comes first! What a trooper?
Solution: Repeat these words: One skipped workout won’t kill me. In many cases, that day off may lead to a better session next time. Think of it as a physical—and mental—hiatus. Use the time to reinforce other areas of your life.
Clue: You spend six or seven days weekly working your buns off, but you’ve got nothing to show for it. If you’re experiencing zero weight-loss, nagging aches and pains, restless sleep, fatigue, and fat gain over the course of a month, you’re probably overtraining.
Solution: Take a break. Your muscles need time to recuperate and rebuild new fibers, so that you can reap the full benefits of your training. Keep sweat sessions to a maximum of five days weekly and never more than two days in a row.
Clue: You go on and on about fitness, fitness, fitness, and you drive other people nuts. You’ve lost interest in discussing other topics or connecting to those who don’t share your enthusiasm.
Solution: Zip it! No one wants to hear the details of your workout. If they do ask, keep your answer short. Getting fit is often a personal endeavor; it’s easy to become self-involved. Practice staying engaged in other people’s lives. Make it a habit to ask your friends and family what’s new. And please don’t suggest exercise as a fix for their problems.
Alfonso Moretti, Jr., aka “The Angry Trainer,” has been a certified personal trainer for 20 years. He is also a nutrition consultant. You can follow him on Twitter at @AngryTrainerFit.
