We can all benefit from living an active life. We need to exercise regularly to stay strong and healthy. It helps achieve and maintain a healthy weight. It can even boost our cognitive function and improve our mental health. An active lifestyle can even rescue an obese individual’s life.
With all the hype surrounding active lifestyles, it makes one wonder if such a lifestyle has its own drawbacks. Like all good things, too much exercising can cause health problems. This is why it is important that we educate ourselves before we adopt a new lifestyle.
There are many things we rarely hear about exercise. Some of these are the following:
Pain
We always hear people say that pain is part of living an active lifestyle. Exercise can cause muscle soreness. This is also one of the reasons why many people can’t stand doing regular exercise even if they want and badly needs it.
You can feel pain when exercising due to many reasons. You may have forgotten to do a proper warm-up before exercising. Failure to stretch and not having enough motion can also lead to pain.
There are times when people try to exercise too fast. Most starters don’t know how to exercise the right way which can lead to an achy body afterward. But if you experience constant and nagging pain after resting, it is best to consult a doctor.
If there is one thing for sure, that is the fact that you can feel pain while exercising because it is normal for your body to feel the burn. All the repetitive movements cause hydrogen ions to get trapped in the muscles you are working out. This can cause a burning or sometimes an itching sensation.
Rest, proper hydration, and nutrition are important after you exercise. So, make sure you keep yourself hydrated before, during, and after exercise. As for your post-workout meal, eat this within 45 minutes.
Stretch, do light exercises, takes a warm bath, and use an ice pack to loosen those tight muscles and boost blood circulation. You can also go for a massage. If you have no time to go to a trigger-point massage, invest in a hand-held massager that you can take and use anywhere.
Changes in Appetite
Exercise can influence how your body uses of the energy you get from food. Experts may not be sure how physical activity impacts hunger. This is since sometimes, exercise can lead to decreased appetite while others experience cravings after an eventful workout.
Some studies show that during and after intense exercises, some people have decreased appetite. Other studies claim these can make you feel hungrier. It usually depends on the person, which makes it important that you try to eat the right foods after each workout.
Most people use exercise as part of their weight loss regime. But there are some who suffer from exercise bulimia. Bulimics indulge in lengthy workouts that are more strenuous than regular exercise to aid their weight loss.
The problem is that individuals with exercise bulimia don’t purge after overeating. They exercise excessively so that they can burn fat and calories. Aside from overexercising, exercise bulimics often show the following symptoms:
- Feeling guilty, anxious, or angry whenever you miss your scheduled workouts
- Missing important events just to exercise
- Seeing your body differently than how other people see you
- Closely tracking the number of calories you burn when exercising
- Being too self-conscious about your body and feeling the need to exercise more
- Becoming defensive, in denial, or mad if someone tells you are working out too much
To deal with appetite changes, make sure you are eating nutritious and good quality foods. Keep yourself hydrated, plan your meals ahead, avoid cheat meals and listen to your body. If you believe you now have exercise bulimia, don’t hesitate to call a professional for help.
Negative Impact Your Mental Health
We all know by now that an active lifestyle is a great way to boost your mental health. Studies show that people who exercise three to five times per week with up to 30 to 60 minutes of workout leads to improved mental health. But like all good things, too much exercise can have bad mental effects.
People who exercise more than 90 minutes each day can actually have mental health that is worse than individuals who won’t exercise at all. Overexercising can be a symptom of an underlying condition, including emotional stress and eating or weight disorder. It is important that you stop if you ever find yourself over-exerting yourself just to live an active lifestyle.
Listen to your body and rest whenever needed. Stop obsessing about exercise especially if you find yourself working out more than five times a week. Talk to a professional if needed and take some time off.
The perks of living an active lifestyle still outweigh the cons. It is important that you learn how to listen to your body and the clues it is trying to give you. Know that exercising 45 minutes per session is already enough. You are constantly moving throughout the day, which can mean you are getting more exercise than you know.
