To much cardio

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pml67
pml67 Posts: 2 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I am addicted to the elipitcal. I do 2 hrs a day 5 times a week. Is that to much? Dr. Will not allow me to run so am only allowed light walking which doesn't quench my cardio desire.

Replies

  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,066 Member
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    No, it's not too much. Many people train 15+ hours a week for things like marathons and long distance cycling events and triathlons and so on.
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
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    While technically it may not be too much...why so much? And why are you ignoring your Dr?
  • msf74
    msf74 Posts: 3,498 Member
    edited August 2017
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    Seems fine to me.

    I wonder what would happen if we applied the same standards to children? "Hey there, you kid, stop running, jumping and climbing. Too much cardio I tell you! It's bad for your health.*"

    *Said no one ever

    Edited: But make sure to clear it with your Doctor though...
  • kathleennf
    kathleennf Posts: 606 Member
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    Is it too much? It depends on various factors, including but not limited to these that come to mind immediately:
    1> Why does your doctor not want you to run, and have you asked about the elliptical?
    2> What are your goals?
    3> Is there anything else you should be doing with part of your day? I mean- if you weren't on the elliptical 2 hours a day what would you be doing? If the answer is watching TV - probably elliptical is better. If the answer is spending time with family or friends, or getting a (formal or informal) education, or some other worthwhile activity, it could be better to cut back on the elliptical.
  • Spliner1969
    Spliner1969 Posts: 3,233 Member
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    I work out for 1.5 to 2 hours a day five days a week, been doing it for over 2 years. I don't do it on a single machine though. Try mixing things up, do some circuit training, body weight training, etc. It'll help improve your strength. I generally do body weight circuit training for 30 minutes, then do either 15-20 minutes on a machine (sort of like a stair stepper) for pure cardio, or I'll run a couple miles, then I'll go back and do 45 minutes or more of body weight circuit training. When I first started out I did nothing but a machine for a mind numbing 1-1.5 hours at a time. My legs were in great shape but nothing else was. Food for thought.
  • martinirun
    martinirun Posts: 2 Member
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    If you like it and it's not hurting you, go for it!
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,066 Member
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    msf74 wrote: »
    Seems fine to me.

    I wonder what would happen if we applied the same standards to children? "Hey there, you kid, stop running, jumping and climbing. Too much cardio I tell you! It's bad for your health.*"

    *Said no one ever

    Edited: But make sure to clear it with your Doctor though...

    Yes ... or what about people like my husband who is on his feet and active for 8 hours a day as part of his job. Lucky man can eat just about whatever he wants and remain slim! :grin:
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    Why does the doctor not want you to run? That's the bigger question. If it's because there's an injury or illness (physical or mental) that it may aggravate then yes, it's too much.
  • Chase_The_Pain
    Chase_The_Pain Posts: 255 Member
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    It depends on what your goals are. If you do not have any physical goals set and are doing it just because you like doing it, then I do not see a problem with it.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,868 Member
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    No...but I personally wouldn't do it unless I had some specific thing I was training for...like when I train for an endurance cycling event, I put in quite a few miles and hours on my bike but it's for a limited time as I ramp up to the event...If I'm not training for an event I much prefer a more moderate and balanced approach to fitness...personally, I'd spend some of that time doing some kind of resistance training.

    I also think I'd want to shoot myself on an elliptical for 2 hours per day...but that's just me...a bike out on the road, no problem...but I'd literally want to die if I was on any piece of stationary equipment that long...
  • CJ_Holmes
    CJ_Holmes Posts: 759 Member
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    The fact that you call yourself "addicted" makes me think you're worried about it. Two hours of cardio in itself isn't a problem. I guess I just wonder if it's the best use of your time. I can't imagine spending 2 hours a day doing something that builds no skills, doesn't make me stronger, and has me stuck in one indoor location, unless I'm getting paid to do it. I guess if it was the time I was watching a movie or something... I would encourage you to really ask yourself what are your goals and what do you get out of the cardio. Maybe you could find some other activities to try so you don't feel like you're doing something addictive/compulsive.
  • tulips_and_tea
    tulips_and_tea Posts: 5,714 Member
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    Like the others, I think it would be helpful to know why your doctor has said not to run. That may change my response.

    Otherwise, I agree with @CJ_Holmes. If you feel you're truly addicted and feel anxiety or stress when you don't do your full 2 hours per day then you should probably ask yourself why this is the case and how you want to proceed.

    Personally, years ago I was doing 90 min. of cardio 6 days per week, mainly to work off some stress but I started worrying about what I would do if I got an over-use injury. I decided I needed to learn how to deal with stress in a more balance manner. That may or may not apply to you. Just my $0.02.
  • cerise_noir
    cerise_noir Posts: 5,468 Member
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    JeromeBarry1 wrote: »
    Oh, I thought we were toasting cardio.

    To much cardio: You've caused me to lose 100 lb, improve my cardiovascular fitness to that of a teenager, and lower my blood pressure. Thank you!
    :drinker:
  • pml67
    pml67 Posts: 2 Member
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    Thank you all for your comments. Dr does not want me running because to much impact on dengerating disk in my upper and lower back. I do feel like I need to lift weights more. My focus has been trying to lose weight. I am not overweight and I eat pretty healthy, just want to get rid of a few extra pounds and exercise eases my stress levels.
  • jamesakrobinson
    jamesakrobinson Posts: 2,149 Member
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    I would suggest that there's nothing "wrong" with lots of cardio, but it's value or cost depends on your goal.
    There's quite a lot of research proving that high volume cardio will actually convert some of your "type II", or "fast twitch" muscle fibres into "type I", or "slow twitch".
    Basically you're turning the bigger power muscle into smaller endurance muscle.
    If you're trying to gain any muscle mass or strength, then you need to limit your cadio, if you want to be able to go for hours on end at a lower intensity then cardio is your friend.
    If I do more than 2 or 3 hours of cardio in a week my muscle mass goes down visibly in the mirror, and measurably on my Skulpt. Oddly enough, my fat percentage goes up a bit too but it's highly likely that that's not so much that I actually gained fat as it is that losing muscles mass by definition makes the same fat mass a higher percentage of body composition.
    My current body fat (by Dexa) is around 8.5% at 5'11" 176 lbs 51 years old.
    I can drop 2 pounds in a week if I do 5 days of cardio but it's all muscle (well water and glycogen probably but from the muscle tissue).

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