Effects of Over-exercising on your body and brain.

We all know that exercising is good for us to maintain a healthy weight, improve cardiovascular health and even fight depression. But like everything else, overdoing it can have serious consequences on your body and brain.


What is too much exercising?

It depends on factors such as your age, health and choice of workouts. Generally, an adult should get about 5 hours/week of moderate exercise or 2.5 hours/week of more intense exercise. You can even combine different forms of exercises, according to CBC. Anything more than that is doing too much.


Over-exercising Effects on health

Research shows that going overboard with exercising doesn’t necessarily increase your health benefits. Moderate runners have a lower risk of death than people who don’t exercise. But, surprisingly, people who run at a faster pace tend to have a similar risk of dying as non-runners. Extreme endurance exercising such as ultra-marathons can also lead to


· Heart damage


· Heart rhythm disorders


· Enlarged arteries.


· Remodeled heart


· Thickening of heart tissues


Over-exercising effects on Women

Women who workout once a week have lower chances of heart attacks & strokes. But that risk shot up for those who exercise strenuously every day. Over-exercising for women can lead to problems such as Female Athlete Triad which can cause:


· Loss of menstruation


· Osteoporosis


· Eating disorders


It can also cause muscle fractures and joint pains.


Over-exercising effects on Men

Over-exercising is known to decrease libido in men, due to physical fatigue and lower testosterone levels. It can also cause overuse injuries and joint pains


Immunity

Your immune system is also likely to suffer by excessive exercising. After intense exercise, there’s a 72hours open window of impaired immunity. This means that viruses and bacteria can invade and infect your body. Athletes are known to experience upper respiratory tract infections because of this reason.


Conclusion

Excess exercise can wreak havoc on your body, especially on heart, tendons, ligaments & immune system. It is also a form of addiction that can cause withdrawal symptoms when you take a break. But don’t give up, instead, know how much is good for you.