How much is too much exercise???

middleagegirl

I am obsessed with my Nordic Track Treadmill. Is has the big screen and I do classes all over the world. On the screen of course. I usually do at least 3 classes a day. I mix it up with running, climbing and walking. How can I tell if I am creating too much cortisol?

ninerbuff

If you start getting bored, or if you feel it's a chore to do the classes. Exercise is for fitness and health and should be somewhat enjoyable. Many do it because they feel it's mandatory for weight loss. Also, if you're really tired before each class, that means you're likely not recovering.


A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

maroonmango211

How long are the classes you are doing? What intensity level are you exerting yourself at? Are you eating/sleeping to fuel yourself? How long have you been at it?

Generally your body should be a pretty good indicator of if you are pushing yourself too far with exercise; fatigue/lethargy, extreme hunger, lack of concentration, more than normal muscle soreness, agitation etc. If ignored it certainly can progress to worse problems effecting health or injury, but for each person this is going to be extremely individual. Would be really hard to say without knowing a little more.

AnnPT77

Bad signs: Increasing cumulative fatigue, poor life balance (not enough time/energy for other important things), gradually increasing resting heart rate, weight loss faster than 0.5-1% (max) of body weight weekly if not eating back exercise calories, new pains that aren't just simple muscle soreness, decreasing performance metrics . . . .

Cortisol per se is probably not going to be the big issue, IMO.

middleagegirl

ninerbuff wrote: »

If you start getting bored, or if you feel it's a chore to do the classes. Exercise is for fitness and health and should be somewhat enjoyable. Many do it because they feel it's mandatory for weight loss. Also, if you're really tired before each class, that means you're likely not recovering.


A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

I love the classes and love my Nordic Track treadmill. I just don't want to over do it.
I am not tired at all and can do several classes.

lorrpb

Can you explain your concern about cortisol?ive been on here for years and don’t think I’ve seen this question asked in regards to cortisol levels.

middleagegirl

lorrpb wrote: »

Can you explain your concern about cortisol?ive been on here for years and don’t think I’ve seen this question asked in regards to cortisol levels.

Too much exercise can lead to increased cortisol in the body. Cortisol makes you gain weight. I think that if you stress your body too much with exercise, it can increase cortisol levels. I am not really sure. This is just my understanding.

heybales

Increased cortisol from any stress - even too much diet - increases water weight.
Recovery from workouts should alleviate that.
Diet it doesn't because you are constantly in it if doing a level that causes stress.
Hence many people taking a diet break, or finally eating more than an extreme diet, and whoosh.

The tough thing about some workouts is you'll feel you are pushing yourself just has hard as maybe 2 weeks ago say - but it only feels hard because body is unrecovered and tired.
So while in that state it's hard to see that difference. It feels hard.
Daily life may point it out though, as commented by others.

Some workouts are easy to tell - pace or speed went down for exact same course, or weight had to come off the bar to hit the same sets/reps, ect.
Or HR very elevated during workout despite same level of intensity.

Sometimes the morning restingHR starts pointing out both issues, starts going up.

ETA:
forgot to mention it's not just exercise in general for increased cortisol - specific types.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18787373/

AnnPT77

middleagegirl wrote: »

lorrpb wrote: »

Can you explain your concern about cortisol?ive been on here for years and don’t think I’ve seen this question asked in regards to cortisol levels.

Too much exercise can lead to increased cortisol in the body. Cortisol makes you gain weight. I think that if you stress your body too much with exercise, it can increase cortisol levels. I am not really sure. This is just my understanding.

It's water weight, not fat weight. I don't worry about water weight, personally - worry is a stress that can also increase cortisol, y'know. Manage your all-source stress. It may help keep your cortisol levels reasonable, and it assuredly has diverse health benefits.

The risks of too much exercise, at an extreme, can be serious. Water retention (short of actual lymphedema or another diagnosed health condition) is not serious. The other signs folks have talked about are your warning bell for serious negative effects of over-exercise. They're the *warning*, primarily, not the bad effect in themselves.

Among the possibilities that can happen, at an extreme: Immune system suppression, rhabdomyolysis (there were some case reports of people getting that after spinning, beyond their reasonable capability, a while back; there may have been multiple factors), mental health consequences, increased risk of injury (including overuse injury if the exercise is not well-rounded), poor sleep, and more.

If you build your exercise duration/intensity gradually and carefully, the definition of what's "too much exercise" can recede into the distance. Some professional athletes exercise a lot, during some training cycles. They also take recovery seriously.

On another thread, OP, you talk about not eating back your exercise calories because that would defeat the purpose of all your hard work, for you. On this thread, you ask about whether doing several exercise classes daily is a problem, saying that you do the classes because you love the classes, but you're worried that they'll increase water weight.

I don't say this to be harsh, but I'm concerned about you, worried that you're rationalizing extremes because of a high focus on weight loss.

Maybe I'm wrong. But I'd strongly encourage you to put the focus on health (which will include weight issues, potentially, if overweight), and not focus solely on body weight, including meaningless components like water retention.

middleagegirl

AnnPT77 wrote: »

middleagegirl wrote: »

lorrpb wrote: »

Can you explain your concern about cortisol?ive been on here for years and don’t think I’ve seen this question asked in regards to cortisol levels.

Too much exercise can lead to increased cortisol in the body. Cortisol makes you gain weight. I think that if you stress your body too much with exercise, it can increase cortisol levels. I am not really sure. This is just my understanding.

It's water weight, not fat weight. I don't worry about water weight, personally - worry is a stress that can also increase cortisol, y'know. Manage your all-source stress. It may help keep your cortisol levels reasonable, and it assuredly has diverse health benefits.

The risks of too much exercise, at an extreme, can be serious. Water retention (short of actual lymphedema or another diagnosed health condition) is not serious. The other signs folks have talked about are your warning bell for serious negative effects of over-exercise. They're the *warning*, primarily, not the bad effect in themselves.

Among the possibilities that can happen, at an extreme: Immune system suppression, rhabdomyolysis (there were some case reports of people getting that after spinning, beyond their reasonable capability, a while back; there may have been multiple factors), mental health consequences, increased risk of injury (including overuse injury if the exercise is not well-rounded), poor sleep, and more.

If you build your exercise duration/intensity gradually and carefully, the definition of what's "too much exercise" can recede into the distance. Some professional athletes exercise a lot, during some training cycles. They also take recovery seriously.

On another thread, OP, you talk about not eating back your exercise calories because that would defeat the purpose of all your hard work, for you. On this thread, you ask about whether doing several exercise classes daily is a problem, saying that you do the classes because you love the classes, but you're worried that they'll increase water weight.

I don't say this to be harsh, but I'm concerned about you, worried that you're rationalizing extremes because of a high focus on weight loss.

Maybe I'm wrong. But I'd strongly encourage you to put the focus on health (which will include weight issues, potentially, if overweight), and not focus solely on body weight, including meaningless components like water retention.

Thank you for your thoughtful input. I am 56. Been around the block a time or two. I say these things because I use to be in great shape. I have always exercised. My issue is that the weight has crept up even though I am active and now it's even harder to get it off. I don't lose weight unless I exercise a lot and eat very little, meaning that I do not eat my exercise calories back. Not sustainable I know. I hate it but it's what I have to do. Every individual is different. I do eat enough, I do exercise a lot and I do make sure I give myself time to recover. It's just really frustrating. I had lunch with a friend the other day and she has the same issues.

serapel

When you say the weight crept up and you are now 56. At what age did you notice the creep? During menopause our bodies actually need 200 less calories per day!! That would equate to weight gain if 2 lbs per month if you continued to eat the same.

I’m turning 50 and in perimenopause and I’ve had to drop my calorie consumption by 100 a day so far to avoid the weight creep.

Have you thought of using natural HRT? It will help with the stubborn weight gain. I use OTC estrogen and progesterone creams. It has helped me immensely just to feel better. Hormones are a big factor of weight management and maintaining muscle.