How much exercise is too much?

[Tony1968]

I know that a healthy lifestyle (and if you want to lose weight) requires daily exercise, but I also know you can over-exercise. When should you draw the line? How much is too much when it comes to daily exercise?

[Speeddemon]

The average person really shouldn't need more than an hour or two of exercise per day. And by the way, when I mean 2 hours of exercise, I don't mean 2 hours of intense cardio. I mean cardio, plush strength training and other exercises that don't involve elevating your heart rate to high levels. You're working out too much if your body is hurting for several days and it doesn't seem to be going away. Another sign that you're working out too much is if your performance during your workouts starts to decline or you find yourself feeling tired or even moody. An hour or two a day really is all the average person needs to get in shape and stay in shape. That said, keep in mind that what may be too much exercise for one person may not be the same for another. Consider your health, age, as well as you weight loss and fitness goals.

[enviroTodd]

The amount of exercise that you require in a day depends on your current fitness level. If you are measuring it in time you also need to take intensity into consideration (as Speedemon said). Thirty minutes per day is good for the average person to spend on a higher impact exercise like good cardio exercising or strength training. However, this doesn't mean that you can run for 30 minutes and then sit still for the rest of the day. You should be active for more of the day. Try to walk to as many places as possible and you'll fill your quota very quickly and you'll enjoy the positive energy that being outdoors and breathing outside air can offer.

[Freddy]

Great advice enviroTodd. Too many people only engage in physical activity specifically when working out but then don't do anything else for the rest of the day. It's important to be active and get some fresh air everyday, even if you already follow an exercise routine.

[Charlotte]

Your exercising too much if your body hurts all the time and you can't go a single day without exercising or you find yourself exercising more and more. I have a cousin who is completely obsessed with exercising and she thinks that if you exercise for longer during one day that will somehow make up for the exercise you miss on another day. Personally, I think if you engage in an actual exercise routine more than once a day, you're exercising too much. As enviroTodd and Freddy said, its good to be active throughout the day, but actually engaging in a workout routine is something that should only be done once. There is no need to head to the gym twice a day unless you plan on being a bodybuilder or something.

[TeensyTiff]

Personally, for the average healthy person, I think anything over an hour every day is too much. Since you should be moving around throughout the day, you really shouldn't need more than 30 - 60 minutes of designated exercising time. The point is to keep your body health, strong and in shape, not to keep pushing limits.

[PamelaPoison]

Dont' leave yourself too overly winded, completely exhausted, dizzy, horribly overheated, emotional to the point of breaking down, or so that you are in pain the next day. Everybody has their own breaking point.

[Tony1968]

Thank you for all of the great tips!