How much exercise is too much?

groversa
groversa Posts: 450 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I don't think I have been working out too much at all, but my boyfriend thinks I have been and doesn't want me to get "addicted to it".
I tend to work out about an hour, doing weights and cardio every morning, then I might go again at night sometimes.
I feel good when I do!!

But after my dads death I remember my counselor I had telling me how people coped with things, some people get way too busy so they can't think about it (like I did for a long time), some people eat, some people exercise too much, etc.

I don't really think I can exercise too much. But I guess I'm kind of new to this, and other people may know better.

Tell me your thoughts please and thank you :)

Replies

  • sixpacklady
    sixpacklady Posts: 582 Member
    IMO, 1 hour a day is plenty. But it also depends on what you are doing. If you are doing low intensity stuff, it would be ok to go over an hour. But If you are doing high impact/intensity, you wouldn't be dreaming of doing it again the same day.

    Also, your body will tell you if you are doing too much. If you get sick frequently or not able to sleep, you might be overdoing it.

    Hope that helps...
  • ilovedeadlifts
    ilovedeadlifts Posts: 2,923 Member
    3-4 days per week with weights.
    2-3 cardio sessions.

    anymore than that is pretty much overkill, unless you're at an elite level or are competing in a sport.
  • Ainar
    Ainar Posts: 858 Member
    Same here, I do weights for hour and cardio for hour, so it's two hours a day usually. Two hours a day definitely is not too much. I know some people who works out 4 hours a day and some professional athletes trains for even as long as 12 hours a day and more. Of course I'm not saying that 12 and more hours a day is fine, it is if your only care about performance but health wise, not really. Bodies of those athletes prolly will be pretty burned out by age of 30. But just so you get an idea how far you really can go...

    What I'm trying to say is that there isn't really one strict "too much" line what if you cross you will make harm to your body. It depends from different factors. For example your workout plan, for example, you can't just lift and lift and lift all the time heavy weights every day for same muscles without giving them a couple of days to recover and expect them to get stronger and grow, you will overtrain and get opposite results for sure. And you can't be on calorie deficit and do tons and tons of heavy cardio without increasing your calories cos that will take away all the energy and just make you feel sick, not healthy for sure.

    Anyways, my point is, just make sure that your body recovers before next workout and you get all the needed nutrients and calories, and water, and everything... you will be fine. Train smart not hard... and if you are training hard you have to be even smarter with that. Do some background research and see how much time you need to recover, experiment a little. Also listen to your body. You will get signs when you are overtraining, like for example you may feel light headed, you could have hard time to fall asleep, your head might hurt, etc.
  • rosyjjj
    rosyjjj Posts: 13 Member
    i noticed when i lost weight before in high school, i was obsessed with working out. i would go to the gym for 2 or 3 hours and then come home and do an intense video. i was trying to hurry and get fit for prom. i did loose about 30 pounds in two months but i noticed the last two weeks i lost nothing and my doctor told me it was because i was over doing it. as long as you get a good, intense work out it in, youre going to be fine. try to remember that losing weight is a lifestyle choice and working out is something that has to fit into your life. you shouldnt have to miss out on hanging with your friends or family because you feel the need to exercise. it's all about balance. try to enjoy the journey!
  • groversa
    groversa Posts: 450 Member
    3-4 days per week with weights.
    2-3 cardio sessions.

    anymore than that is pretty much overkill, unless you're at an elite level or are competing in a sport.

    So you think doing cardio and weights each day is too much? When I do weights, I obviously don't do as much as you (from your picture haha), I usually do what I can constant for 10 or 15 minutes, then do cardio the rest of my time.
  • tuckerrj
    tuckerrj Posts: 1,453 Member
    (3) Light days I workout for about an hour (30 min weightlifting, 30 min aerobics). (2) Intense days I'll go 90 minutes to 2 hours. Once or twice a month I get REALLY bored and I'll workout 2-1/2 hours or more, then sleep 10+ hours. I think if you limit your workouts to 2 hours or less a day, that wouldn't be considered an addiction. Make sure you have a rest day every week or so. If you start getting hurt, or feeling excess fatigue, then back off.
  • FitMomForLifeMunro
    FitMomForLifeMunro Posts: 4
    Doing 'too much', you might get burnt out - I've been at that point. My favorite schedule is:
    M - weights
    T - cardio (insanity or 30 day shred)
    W - weights
    Th - cardio (insanity or 30 day shred)
    F - weights.

    Weights is by far the most effective in losing weight.
  • ValerieMomof2
    ValerieMomof2 Posts: 530 Member
    1-2 hours a day isn't bad depending on your intensity. I used to do that when I had time, however, you do need to be concerned with muscle fatigue/injury if you lift daily. I like to work out 6-7 times a week, but usually 1 of those is very light to allow recovery
  • kairisika
    kairisika Posts: 131 Member
    These people are nuts. It's hard to do too much exercise. As long as the rest of your life is going well, you really don't need to worry. (If your boyfriend is concerned that you spend all your time at the gym and none at all with him, he may have a point.)

    Plenty of people exercise every day, and unless you're going super-hard, a day is plenty of time to recover for your next session.
    Make sure you fuel your body adequately for what you do (you need to eat more when you work harder to maintain a steady deficit, rather than the largest possible deficit), and go have fun.
  • angel79202
    angel79202 Posts: 1,012 Member
    Well..I may be a bad example..but I do 10 hours a week with one rest day :)
  • Sharkington
    Sharkington Posts: 485
    Speaking from experience, I have gone overboard with exercising at times and have had to tone it down. For me, doing an hour of cardio every day is too much. I decided to keep my cardio to 3-4 days a week, and do weight/resistance on the other days - and even on the days I do cardio sometimes, while giving myself at least one day of "rest". I have noticed no weight gain whatsoever by doing less cardio than I was doing. I am not trying to lose weight, though, so I understand it really just depends on the person and their weight loss goals. I think as long as you are giving your body sufficient rest, you're eating enough, and you're not pushing yourself hard to the point of injury, then I think you'll be okay. Maybe try having a discussion with your boyfriend about why he thinks you're overdoing it. It is probably coming form a good place and he just wants to make sure you're trying to stay healthy physically, as well as mentally. I know my boyfriend has expressed concern for me because I have and still do struggle with an eating disorder, which has also manifested in excessive exercise at times. (I am definitely not implying you have an eating disorder, just that your b/f cares about you and probably just wants to be sure you're still doing okay! :)) He might also be having a hard time adjusting to you not hanging out with him as much, now that you are spending more time at the gym. Whatever the reason, I hope you can talk this out with him. c:
  • MaraDiaz
    MaraDiaz Posts: 4,604 Member
    For me it's time to slow down or stop for a few days when my joints or spine start twinging. I can tell the difference between joint pain and muscle pain. Muscle pain I might workout anyway, joint and back pain is a huge red flag.

    Or sometimes I'll catch joints or my spine feeling weak and 'slidy'. By 'slidy' I mean it feels like they aren't providing proper support and/or staying where they're supposed to. Anyone who has ever 'slipped a disc' probably knows the feeling.

    Edit: Forgot one. Aching shins means it's time to dial it back as well. Shin splints are no fun!
  • Carolinelpowell
    Carolinelpowell Posts: 2
    The results/symptoms of too much exercise is generally referred to as over training. Generally, when you feel tired, soreness that never goes away, achiness, or feel pain in your joints. I have even seen people experience what they thought was the the flu. Also, you could be getting too much exercise is you feel pain performing a particular movement or have injured yourself.
    Good guidelines for weights are 48hrs between workouts that directly work a muscle group.



    I am actually writing an article for how to determine the right workout play for you. Www.cliffpt.com/thetrainerlife/Picking-workout-plan
  • EternalFiend
    EternalFiend Posts: 9 Member
    I think it depends what you're doing - for example, I have already worked out for three hours today, but it was mainly low intensity! I did an hour of weights at the gym, ran/walked an hour home and then did an hour of yoga. I feel great, energized and not like I have done too much at all!

    Working our two hours a day should be ok! If I'm doing weights and cardio at the gym, it's normally an hour and a half session. Just, as many people have already said, look for signs of overtraining. If you are always exhausted, getting sick a lot, injuring yourself a lot (when I was over training for a 5k, I couldn't get rid of shin splints!) but not only that, is fitness taking over your life? Are you missing out on other activities that you want to do for your fitness e.g spending time with your boyfriend, friend and family to make sure you get a workout in? If none of this is happening, then your workout schedule is probably just fine!

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