Over-Exercising and Mental Health

Exercising is often commended for the benefits it gives to both the body and the mind. It helps to maintain a healthy weight as well as lowers the risk of many chronic diseases. In addition, it improves mood and increases overall well-being. However, as exercise transitions from a healthy habit to a deep obsession, it can pose risks for both physical and mental health. Over-Exercising can have many serious psychological consequences, and this is also known as compulsive exercise or exercise addiction. This article looks at the mental health dangers of working out too much and how being obsessed with fitness can hurt your emotional and psychological health.

What is Over-exercising?

Overtraining happens when many people are consistently involved in more exercise than what is healthy for them physically and mentally. It includes working out with too much frequency, with too much intensity, or for too long a time, without enough recovery period or rest time. As time goes by, being overly dedicated to working out can cause negative effects to the body and mind.

Although exercising is frequently helpful, equilibrium is what counts. It is essential to maintain good habits, get enough rest, and allow full recovery to achieve optimal mental and physical well-being. However, some people may sometimes become obsessed with achieving a perfect physique, enhancing athletic performance, or maintaining unrealistic fitness goals, leading to overexertion.

Mental Health Risks of Over-Exercising

• Enhanced Anxiety and Increase in levels of Stress: Over-exercising can lead to heightened levels of stress as well as anxiety. Individuals having an obsession towards their workout routine tend to get triggered even with a single missed session. 
• Depression and Emotional Exhaustion: Although exercising is supposed to increase the mood and enhance the production of endorphins, on the other hand, over-exercising can lead to feelings of exhaustion. It can contribute towards the elevation of depressive symptoms. Overtraining can make it difficult for the individuals to find joy in their workouts.
• Body Dysmorphia: Body dysmorphia is a condition where individuals have a distorted perception of their own body’s appearance. Over-exercising is generally the result of body dysmorphia, especially in people who are fixated on achieving a specific body image type.
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Perfectionism: For some individuals developing OCD exercising becomes a regular ritual and is completely inflexible, driven by the obsessive thoughts and fear of missing out on a single workout, stresses and triggers them. Perfectionism can fuel this behaviour.
• Social Isolation and Relationships become Draining: Over-exercising can add up to the anti-social behaviour, withdrawal from friends and family, and to focus intensely on the fitness goals. This behaviour arises from prioritising the workouts over social engagements. 
• Development of an insignificant Eating disorder and Unhealthy means of diet : Over-exercising tends to give rise to the development of eating patterns. The intense focus on fitness achievements, body, and performance may lead to adopting unhealthy eating habits in an attempt to maintain or control the needle on scales.
• Cognitive Distortions: People often go through cognitive distortions. The irrational and unrealistic approaches influence the behaviour. Some of the distorted thoughts lead to a vicious cycle of feeling guilt, shame and increasing anxiety.
• Burnout and physical exhaustion can also occur due to exercising too much.

How to Prevent Over-Exercising?

Rest and recovery are essential and cannot be overstated. Rest days allow the body to recover and repair itself. Promotes optimal performance as well as contributes to mental clarity. Adding yoga and meditation to the routine can help in mindful fulfilment and give a sense of balance. It will also help in cultivating peace. It is also essential to set goals that are achievable and more practical. Focusing on the long-term well-being rather than short-term performance is necessary. It is also essential to seek support when exercising becomes an obsession. Previously, people have believed that the more exercise you do, the better your mental health, but study suggests that this might be not the case.

On a short note, as much as it is important to indulge in a physical activity in the daily routine, it is also imperative that it doesn’t become an obsession. People who are physically active for over 90 minutes every day also achieve the same level of improvements. the researchers believe, may be because people who exercise for many hours at a time and who do so frequently may be exhibiting obsessive behaviors associated with poor psychological and emotional outcomes.

FAQs

• What are the side effects of over-exercising, and how can they impact health?

Over workout side effects are, injuries, fatigue, and weakened immunity, hindering your progress and overall well-being

• Can you explain the consequences of overdoing exercise?

Side effects of too much exercise are breakdowns, not breakthroughs – think muscle damage, exhaustion, and lowered defences

• How does over-exercising affect physical and mental well-being?

Consequences of over-exercising are overexertion and stress which can lead to physical breakdowns and hinder performance, while also creating mental strain and disrupting sleep, impacting overall well-being

• Are there any long-term complications associated with too much exercise?

Some negative effects of over-exercising are that it can lead to long-term issues like weakened bones, hormonal imbalances, and even organ damage, jeopardising your health gains.