Am I overdoing it?

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Becs25
Becs25 Posts: 79
in Fitness and Exercise
I am in the last phase of P90X but along with that I have been doing the elliptical machine in the mornings and if I get a chance I will go to Zumba in the evenings. I do P90X right after work at 4. I've often wondered if I am over doing it with my exercise?

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  • amyd03
    amyd03 Posts: 129 Member
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    I am not sure but would love to know. I wish I had your energy level
  • HoopFire5602
    HoopFire5602 Posts: 423 Member
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    How many cals do you normally burn in a day with exercise? And how long typically are your workouts?
  • pilotgirl2007
    pilotgirl2007 Posts: 368 Member
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    The big question is how to you feel? If you feel great, no injuries or extreme sorness then I would say you are probably ok. If you are feeling worn down or you are getting injured then its time to back off. Your workout doesn't seem to excessive to me but as long as you have worked up to that much activity.
  • audjrey
    audjrey Posts: 360 Member
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    The body needs one full day of active rest. So long as you're doing that, then consider the following most typical signs of over-training:

    insomnia, restlessness, fatigue, lack of appetite, irritability, inability to concentrate, and chronically sore muscles.

    If you don't have any of these symptoms and you're able to work out the way you do, more power to you. Just be mindful of what the signs are so that if you do encounter them, you'll know enough to ease off a bit.
  • Becs25
    Becs25 Posts: 79
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    with the elliptical I burn anywhere from 230 to 280 depending on what time I get to the fitness center (25 to 35 minutes), with P90X it can range from 250 to 420 depending on what video for the day I'm doing(55 to 75 minutes) and then Zumba normally ranges from 420 to 500 for an hour long session
  • hedgertiger
    hedgertiger Posts: 51 Member
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    if you were doing P90X at your max level I would seriously doubt you could do the other workouts on the same day. quality over quantity is what Ive always found to work
  • fteale
    fteale Posts: 5,311 Member
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    I don't know what the PX90 thing is, but I wouldn't have thought so with the other two. I know people rave about Zumba, but it's not a massively intense workout, is it? And with the elliptical, it depends how long you do. I would say up to 2 hours exercise a day was reasonable if you are fit.

    If you are feeling burnt out, then you probably are overdoing it.
  • smpdancer
    smpdancer Posts: 1
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    It is possible to overdo it. If you are not getting enough calories to support your exercise, you may go into starvation mode and your body will actually hold on to the calories you consume in order to protect itself. In the past ten years over-exercising has become equal to bulimia and anorexia in being defined as an eating disorder. I would make sure to log in all your exercise and see that you are getting enough calories from the right food groups to support your active lifestyle.

    I went through the same thing when I was a competitive ballroom dancer. The training hours were intense and I barely had time to eat. It didn't hurt that I was consistently complimented on my dwindling figure. One day during training, I fainted. I had to go to urgent care and they gave me all this helpful information about over-exercising. The doctor instructed me to keep snacks with me at all times so that I could quickly munch on something throughout my day. I ate handfuls of almonds between rehearsals, kept healthy choices in my locker and stocked up on lean meals I could microwave for dinner at the studio. I kept losing weight from the exercise but I was more able to function and my weight finally stabilized when I hit my goal number. It took a lot of effort at first but eventually became a pattern for me: wake, eat, dance, eat, home, eat...eat, eat, eat! When I look back on it, I was eating every moment I had the chance. It felt strange to eat so often and still lose weight but my body was knocked back into reality and stopped being afraid I was going to starve it to death. It was the healthiest I've ever been. I felt fantastic in spite of the hard hours and had energy to spare..
  • HoopFire5602
    HoopFire5602 Posts: 423 Member
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    That's almost 4 hours a day, lincluding any othe rmovement and such you do inbetween those hours.
    To me that's a lot. But as others have said, how do you feel after them? Are you tired or find yourself getting sick easily? Listen to your body; it will tell you how much too much is.
    I only ask the hours because I was a compulsive exerciser. At one point in my obsession I did over 4 hours a day. Try to remember what your reasons are for doing 4 hours of exercise a day. Do you really enjoy it it? Or is it for calorie burns so you can eat more, or is it for food that you ate that you need to burn off? Not saying you have an issue or anything like that, just trying to cover all the bases.
  • suzycreamcheese
    suzycreamcheese Posts: 1,766 Member
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    its not so much overdoing it, but you risk burning yourself out and getting bored if you do too much
  • tfrancis21
    tfrancis21 Posts: 4 Member
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    WOW. That does sound like a lot. The real question is how do you feel? And if you are going to burn out? The thing is, it is all about consistency. Consistency is much better then how much you do.

    I copied the following link from Dr.Oz web-site for you to check out! This is a great resouce for Health, Diet, Exercise etc. Enjoy : ))


    http://www.sharecare.com/topic/fitness-exercise?partner=droz
  • Becs25
    Becs25 Posts: 79
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    Thanks everyone for the replies. I guess as long as I am able to keep going, I feel that it is okay. I have been doing it for almost two months now and will not do the elliptical or Zumba when I have felt too worn out. I still can't seem to lose the weight I would like but I am not giving up.

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