Key signs of exercising too much include
- making exercise a priority over personal relationships
- feeling "withdrawal symptoms" such as irritability when unable to exercise
- feeling guilty or depressed when you don't exercise
- feeling like your job or relationships get in the way of exercise
- missing school, college or work to exercise
- exercising regardless of injuries, tiredness or illness
- ignoring the concerns of your friends and family about your attitude to exercise.
Some of the most common risks of exercising too much are listed below.
- Immune Dysfunction
- Excessive exercise without adequate recovery stresses the body, decreasing immune function and increasing the chance of respiratory infection.
- Reproductive Health Problems
- Women who's body-fat level falls below 13 to 17 percent can stop menstruating, a condition called amenorrhea.
- When a woman is experiencing amenorrhea, she is infertile.
- Amenorrhea caused by excessive exercise is reversible when body-fat returns to normal. Normal levels are usually above 20 percent.
- Mood and Cognition Problems
- People who exercise too much can suffer from withdrawal symptoms including sleep disturbances, depression, anxiety, confusion, and difficulty concentrating when they miss a day of exercise.
- Bone Health
- Both male and females who exercise too much are at a higher risk for developing osteoporosis and stress fractures.
- Women can suffer irreversible bone loss if they are not menstruating.
- Soft Tissues Injuries
- Avoiding rest or treatment for injuries can result in chronic damage to connective tissue.
- People who exercise too much also experience muscle soreness when they do not exercise.
- Instead of building muscle, too much exercise can destroy muscle mass, especially if the body is not getting enough nutrition, forcing it to break down muscle for energy.
