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Exercise: How Much
is Too Much?
[
] Do you feel guilty if a day goes by when you don't work out?
[ ] Are you depressed if you are unable to exercise?
[ ] Do you feel tired and lethargic, yet still have trouble
sleeping?
[ ] Do you have injuries that don't seem to heal?
[ ] Are you reluctant to take time off to heal injuries?
[ ] Are you ignoring aspects of your work, social life or
family life?
[ ] Do you increase or decrease your exercise, based on your weight or what you have eaten?
[ ] Do you feel compelled to work out even if you are tired?
[ ] Do you suffer from insomnia, undesired weight loss,
fatigue, lethargy, irritability, loss of menstrual periods, multiple chronic injuries, or
stress fractures?
If you answered
"Yes" to several of the above questions, you are probably exercising too much. The American College of Sports Medicine has issued the following
guidelines for physical activity:
AEROBIC |
|
Frequency |
3-5
days per week |
Intensity |
50-85% estimated maximum
heart rate, or exercise perceived to be
"somewhat hard" or "hard" |
Duration |
20-60
minutes of continuous exercise |
RESISTANCE |
|
Frequency |
2-3
days per week |
Intensity/Duration |
1-3
sets of 8-12 repetitions; 10 -12 total exercises, one for each major muscle group (chest,
back, shoulders, biceps, triceps, quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteals, calves and core - abs
and low back) |
HERE ARE SOME
SUGGESTIONS TO BREAK OVER-EXERCISING:
·
Focus on health and fitness versus appearance -
Follow A.C.S.M. Guidelines!
·
Trust your body cues. Listen when your body
says "I'm tired," or "I ache."
·
Take rest days.
·
Avoid linking eating and exercise.
·
Don't let exercise
determine your self-worth.
·
Vary the intensity of your workout.
Source:
Carol L. Otis, M.D., and Roger
Goldingay, "Exercise Abuse - Have You Gone Too Far?" Shape, October 1991, pages 90-93.
www.mckinley.uiuc.edu/Handouts/exercisehowmuch.html+exercise+how+much+too+much&hl=en
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