Is Your Exercise Routine Unhealthy?
By Sara Butler
Exercise is universally known as an activity that promotes health. It’s good for you! But just as with anything else, you can get too much of a good thing. In fact, there are some exercise habits that can do more harm than good when it comes to your health and physical performance. So, how do you know when your exercise routine has veered into unhealthy territory? Here are a few signs to look for.
Workouts Trump Your Social Life
Do you blow off getting together with friends and family in order to go to the gym? If exercise ever starts to impact your interpersonal relationships, then it can be a signal you have an unhealthy relationship with exercise.
The real problem is that there are tons of ways to rationalize this behavior in your mind, so you may not realize it’s a problem. If you’re training for something, such as a marathon, you probably see ditching your friends on Friday night so you can wake up early for a long run on Saturday as a healthy thing to do. The point is, take the time to evaluate your habits every now and then when it comes to exercise and your social calendar.
You Put Your Health in Jeopardy
Have you ever injured yourself or awakened sick but went to the gym anyway? That may be an indication that something isn’t quite right. People who have an unhealthy relationship with exercise often don’t listen to their bodies and rest when needed. This puts your overall health and wellness into jeopardy, leading to overuse injuries, depression, and exhaustion. Listen to what your body is trying to tell you – don’t forget your rest days!
Exercise as Avoidance
It’s not uncommon, or really unhealthy, for people to consider their time at the gym “me time.” Exercise is a proven stress reliever, after all. But that’s different than using exercise to literally run away from big issues in your life. If exercise becomes the way you cope with a major life change or something serious such as anxiety or depression, then you’re not really addressing the core of the issues.
Exercise is great for your body and mind but it’s also something that needs to be assessed from time to time to make sure you’re doing it right. If you suddenly find yourself at the gym for hours on end, stop and ask yourself why.
To learn more about your health and wellness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Lake Forest, Calif.