Over exercising – How it can impact you physically and Mentally.

This Guest blog Is Written By Aakeen Shah for Joy In Yoga

Today we look at how over exercising can impact you physically & mentally

The mantra ‘no pain without gain’ will motivate some people, but, if taken the wrong way, it can be detrimental to others.

In life, we can be very busy, not giving us enough time to bring awareness within ourselves, which means we aren’t able to listen to our bodies as well – sometimes, we just don’t understand when to say stop.

When exercising, we tend to get in that zone of, ‘I have to keep going – I can’t stop!’. But that’s wrong – resting enables humans to regain energy, therefore keeping testosterone levels at a healthy amount, and enabling the stress hormone to become more under-control. Hormonal issues like these can lead to loss of muscle tissue, inappropriate weight gain and even excess belly fat.

Research and trusted sources say that exercising for ninety minutes or more, more than 23 times a month can in-fact be harmful for the human body, at not just a physical level, but mentally too.

Over Exercising

Excessive exercise can be so damaging, that it is like taking drugs. This is because excessive exercise releases endorphins and dopamine, which are the same neurotransmitters when taking drugs. Exercise addicts often feel a sense of joy and reward after/during their workout, and addiction to exercise usually stems from a desire to look a certain way – the dysmorphic disorder.

The meaning of Yatha Shakti in Yoga is to go to the best of one’s power, or as far as possible. This essentially means do not do more than what your body can take but do what your body allows instead.

Often, people cling on to a false belief that even the smallest break from their training will make them gain weight/become unable to compete at the same level – but this false. Of course, long, week worthy breaks can undoubtedly harm your progress, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a couple days of rest in between! Over-exercising can sometimes even stem from an eating disorder, and so when exercise enjoyment is taken over by exercise addiction, something needs to be done.

Ways to Prevent yourself from turning into an Exercise Addict:

• Limit your workout time: tell yourself, I need to take a break now.
• Give your body a healthy amount of rest. Sleep, eating and exercise all should have a proportionate balance. Try doing the Shavasana (corpse) pose. It is a great way to relax and align your body and mind.
• Slow down… everything doesn’t need to be instant.
• Join different classes at the gym, instead of having a rigid pattern of exercising. Routines are great, but it can be important to try something new.

A love of exercise can be a healthy passion, but if develops to an addiction, talk/reach out to someone! Don’t be afraid; it is never too embarrassing. Many people exercise too much, eat too little and rest too little: it leaves us looking younger but feeling older.

To see more information about Joy In Yoga and how How Aakeen can help you with Yoga and ease exercising while retaining your passion and need to achieve your goal. then please head over to her website, you can also take a look at the blog I wrote for Aakeen on her site which is all about Limiting beliefs. This is all about re-training your mind to stop limiting beliefs.

As always please leave a comment and share with like-minded people, we would love to know what you think and how this blog has helped you.

if you are looking to guest blog on Forward Focus London, please get in touch with Bhavya