What amounts to too much exercise?

Rilzy

I like exercising. Well, mostly I really like being on the elliptical. I find it fun. In fact, I can easily stay on the elliptical for 2 hours in a session. Generally I don't have the time to indulge in such huge stints because I have to do strength training so I do an hour. However, having just restarted my diet / exercising regime I decided to do two weeks of only cardio before adding in the strength. Also it is summer break and thus I have nothing else to do with my time. I try my best to eat back most of the calories I burn from the elliptical but I find that I have to drag myself off after an hour or maybe an hour and twenty minutes when what I really want to do is do two hours.
Is that just too much exercise? I don't want to end up stalling myself even though I'm having a blast while doing it.

toutmonpossible

Generally, it's a good idea to cross train doing different kinds of exercises, e.g., the elliptical, running on the treadmill or outdoors, cycling on the stationary bike or outdoors. Your body adapts to exercise and you need to keep challenging it. I don't know if two hours on an elliptical is actually unhealthy. My feet would get numb long before that and I would die of boredom.

If I were you, I would try to add another exercise.

sunlover89

If you're on there an hour, you're not pushing yourself hard enough. 20 minutes is all you need with HIIT, you should feel like death when you fall off crying, not like you could do another half an hour if you've got time. Work out smarter, not longer.

charliejenny

Elliptical is low impact on the joints....and so long as your not passing out from exhaustion, i cant see the harm

Wish i could enjoy it that much, and someone had to prize me away :-D

I will just add though, for me....if i di tons of cardio for few weeks and then cut it Down, it does stall my weight loss progress for sometimes aslong as a month

charliejenny

ResultsYou could incorparate interval to ware you out quicker and get better

RaggedyPond

You aren't working out hard enough if you can do it for 2 hours. 30 minutes at level 9 and I'm spent.

jaxxie

If you're on there an hour, you're not pushing yourself hard enough. 20 minutes is all you need with HIIT, you should feel like death when you fall off crying, not like you could do another half an hour if you've got time. Work out smarter, not longer.

THIS!

mamosh81

i also spend 70+ mins a day on the elliptical and it is my exercise machine number one but try to switch it up a bit like others say i also go for sprints with the dog and hiking and do strength training (1-3 days a week not a big fan)

and all the naggin saying you dont do it "right" if you on there more then 20 mins i do interval with a heartrate around 180+ buring around 900 cals in those 70 mins according to HRM

Rilzy

ResultsYou could incorparate interval to ware you out quicker and get better

I do intervals. The workout is divided generally when I do the 1.5 into three thirty minutes stints. The first 30 - 40 minute stint is when I actually do the tough workout. I think I've joked several times that it made me want to jump out the window and die, I never think I'll finish it. Then I leave to the yoga room and stretch for about half an hour. Then I spend the other two 30 minute sessions having fun - meaning I do no backwards pedalling (I really hate it lol) and I keep my resistance low... at around 4 or 5 and I keep leisurely pace.

*edited to show who I was responding to*

Rilzy

If you're on there an hour, you're not pushing yourself hard enough. 20 minutes is all you need with HIIT, you should feel like death when you fall off crying, not like you could do another half an hour if you've got time. Work out smarter, not longer.

THIS!

Also, I do push myself very, very hard on the elliptical. I work out between a level 8 and 10 with backward pedalling for the tough intervals followed by forward pedalling. In six minute intervals for the first half hour. I don't fall off crying lol but I do spend a lot of time wanting to jump out the gyms window lol. And I spend a lot of time trying to convince myself not to hop off, go home and forget this. Except when I am finished and I allow myself to come down and stretch, the endorphin rush (because it must be that) makes me want to get up there and do it (a lesser version though) again. And so, I tend to do that.

Ainar

It not gonna harm you. Human bodies are made to do a lot of cardio. We were running a lot and walked a lot, thousands of years ago that what we needed to do to get food and survive. It's just that now we don't have to move our *kitten* to survive, we buy stuff at local store. But we are crated to move a lot.

2 hours every day of steady pace cardio will not gonna harm you, I'm sure about it. 2 hours every day of HIIT might be too much tho, but steady low impact cardio definitely not.

And yes, your body will get used to it. But you can always shock it by changing exercise times, intensity, type of exercise, etc. You don't have to limit amount of cardio to avoid plateau. In fact, you can't, your body will get used to same thing no matter what even if it's only 1h or 30 min a day. Just switch things up once in a while and you will be fine.

Errrica91

As some have pointed out maybe you're not pushing yourself hard enough if you're able to do HIIT for such a long time but on the other hand I'd quite believed you are cause I was doing the same thing once.
But trust me, doing high-intensity intervals for such a long time IS NOT good for your body sweetie. I do believe you ARE ABLE to take that amount of exercise now but I asure you that after few weeks or even months you will burn out. Wheter it seems or not at first, that much exercise really IS too much for your body and it will be overtrained really soon.
Try to do LISS for longer time and then intervals just for few minutes (15-20 min. max). And the important thing - check your heart-rate so you don't damage your heart:-)

charliejenny

Wow...you must have some tight butt

Well done you :-D

jaxxie

We always love what we are good at, so do our bodies! You will never progress and move up/forwards if you don't change it up. Get on the arc, go run hills, get outdoors, lift ****, do TABATA...............anything that is outside your comfort zone. Progression is made with change and attitude! Go for it!

RobynLB83

2 hours of light / moderate cardio is nowhere near too much exercise for anyone who is adequately conditioned from doing regular cardio. You're fine. If you hadn't built up to it, and you just went and tried to knock out a two hour run or a two hour swim, you might injure yourself.

2 hours of HIIT a day is basically athletic training. If you're conditioned at that level, it's also perfectly fine. I'm a little skeptical about what qualifies as HIIT on an elliptical. Being out of breath, working hard, etc., is still moderate cardio. You aren't doing HIIT unless you are working near maximum capacity (think sprinting, not running). You are doing interval training, but not all interval training is HIIT.

jdad1

when i am on the elliptical i keep the resistence between 15-20. I make sure i keep the RPM up as well. Changing the incline every so often for varity. In 25 minutes my machine says i burn 750ish calories. I only log about half that because i don't think machines are all that accurete. My point is that you just have to work out as hard as you can. There is no real point if your not pushing yourself to whatever your limit is. Good cardio should really tire you out within 20 min or so.

iris8pie

I say if it feels good, do it!

After the first hour of working out I feel warm... The second hour is where I feel the amazing Burn, and fluidity it's like a high! I personally can't get to that place in one hour, so I just go with it! Good luck