How Much Exercise Do We Need To Do?
We all know that exercise is a key component to our health. We see the importance through fitness trackers encouraging us to count our steps, standing desks making appearances in offices, and fitness centers popping up left and right. But how much can we have of a good thing? How much exercise do we REALLY need?
Its going to vary for every person.
According to the World Health Organization, current exercise recommendations for Americans, adults ages 18-65 should do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week. This can be met through 10 minute bouts of exercise spread throughout the week or in 30 minute increments a few days per week. This includes walking, jogging, swimming, cycling, climbing, pilates, etc.
Let’s say you are on your feet most of the day. You never get a chance to sit down. By the end of your shift you feel fatigue, hungry, and just want to lounge on the couch. Who says you aren’t allowed to do so? You still had plenty of movement throughout the day and forcing yourself to do MORE than your body wants can be worse for your adrenals. Learning to give yourself rest on days you are not feeling up to it is perfectly okay. However, you may still have a ton of energy and motivation to fit in a workout, then move in a way that feels good!
How About Those Who Have an Office Job?
If you work at a job that requires you to sit at a desk all day, you might find yourself craving some movement before or after work. Even if it is just a 20-30 minute walk or doing some yoga or pilates, getting your blood pumping and flowing through your body can have numerous health benefits. For instance, yoga is great for grounding, realigning your body, and getting some blood pumping without much stress on the body. Incorporating exercise into your daily routine is also known to help decrease rates of depression and anxiety.
When Exercise Becomes Concerning
Too little and too much exercise can both have negative consequences in our health.
Compared to our ancestors, people are spending more time in environments that limit movement such as driving to work, sitting at desks, etc. From an evolutionary perspective, humans were designed to move. During the past 20 years, total screen time (using computers, watching television, playing video games) has increased dramatically. (1) Being completely sedentary for extended periods of time can increase your risk for heart disease, diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure, and depression. (2)
However, exercising too much can pose just as many health concerns as never doing any form of movement. Overexercise is a new emerging problem for a lot of younger people. For females, this can lead to extreme weight loss that results in lost menstrual cycles, anxiety, depression, OCD, eating disorders, bone loss, cardiovascular disease, and body dysmorphia…. to name a few.
Overexercising can also wreck havoc on the digestive track. For example, Chronic cardio, such as running or cycling, puts the body in the sympathetic “fight or flight” mode. When you are in this state, digestion is put to a halt to send more blood and oxygen to the working muscles. GI distress has been shown to be higher in those who engage in rigorous exercise rather than those who engaged in lighter activity. (3)
Some questions to ask yourself to see where you fall on the spectrum:
How would you feel if you were forced to take a week or a month off exercise?
Do you schedule your day around your workout routine?
Would you rather spend your free time at the gym or spending time with others?
Do you think about how many steps you are taking constantly? And do you feel guilt when you don’t hit X amount?
Do you use exercise as a way to control your weight?
Do you use exercise as a reward for eating food?
What are you fitness goals and why do you set them for yourself?
Do you consider yoga or a light walk as exercise?
Are you fatigue or lethargic after your workout?
If you said yes to most of the questions, you might be overdoing it. Signs of overexercise include feeling tired, lethargic, running off caffeine, extreme hunger or never feeling hungry, dehydration, poor recovery, insomnia, injuries, inflammation, GI issues, irritability, anxiety, weight loss, constant soreness, hormonal imbalance.
Exercise is a privilege. It is a celebration of what our bodies can do for us. Too much of anything can be harmful to our mental and physical health. On average, if you are moving daily in some way you are getting enough exercise. If you have fitness goals, take them slowly and realistically. If your workout plan requires cardio every day or you are not feeling recovered from your last workout, it might be time to reconsider your fitness plan. Exercise should never feel like a chore, it should make you feel good and provide you with more energy.
Something to remember is that just because someone else is working out 6-7 days a week does not mean that works for your body. You might do better working out just 3-4 days a week, and that’s PERFECTLY acceptable. Just like with eating, intuitively adding movement in your day can take a load of stress off. And if you want to have a lazy day, have that dang lazy day.
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References
“Physical Activity and Adults.” World Health Organization, World Health Organization, 19 June 2015, www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/factsheet_adults/en/.
Haskell, W L, et al. “Physical Activity and Public Health: Updated Recommendation for Adults from the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association.” Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports., U.S. National Library of Medicine, Aug. 2007, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17762377?dopt=Abstract.
Biernat, E, and M Piątkowska. “Individual and Environmental Factors Determining Sedentary Lifestyle of the Polish Population.” Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports., U.S. National Library of Medicine, Aug. 2014, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25927033.
Hu, Frank B. “Sedentary Lifestyle and Risk of Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes.” SpringerLink, Springer, link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11745-003-1038-4.
de Oliveira, Erick Prado and Roberto Carlos Burini. “Food-dependent, exercise-induced gastrointestinal distress” Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition vol. 8 12. 28 Sep. 2011, doi:10.1186/1550-2783-8-12
