Do You Have an Unhealthy Relationship with Exercise?
By Sara Butler
Exercise is good for you, but just as with many things, you can get too much of a good thing. You can go overboard when it comes to exercise, but it’s often difficult to see just how deep you are when you’re in it. So, take a step back and see if these signs sound familiar to you. If so, you might have an unhealthy relationship with your workout routine.
You’re Too Tough on Yourself
When you have a bad workout, how do you handle it? Or what if you miss a workout -- how does that make you feel? If you find yourself agonizing over the small mistakes you’ve made while working toward a fitness goal, then you may have an unhealthy relationship with your workout regimen.
You must have a little perspective. Instead of focusing on missed personal records, look at all the great stuff your body is actually capable of doing. You may never be able to keep pace with a Kenyan in a marathon, but you can run a marathon! It’s also about perspective -- part of true health is being happy, too.
You Despise Your Rest Days
Rest days are essential to staying healthy when you’re active, but if you dread them, then you may need to reevaluate a few things. You can’t look at rest days as the days you’re not building muscle or burning calories. Instead, they’re the days when you’re giving your body the time to recover and rejuvenate -- the time it desperately needs if you want to move forward with your fitness goals. When your body can recover, then it can rebuild. Neglecting rest days will only lead you to injury and burnout.
You Sacrifice Your Sleep
Do you routinely drag yourself out of bed at the crack of dawn for a workout? For some people, early mornings are the only time they can squeeze in a workout. But if you’re routinely going to bed late and waking up really early for a workout without adequate rest in between, then you are not doing yourself any favors. Research has shown that sleep must be prioritized in order for optimal health to be achieved. So, give yourself a break and hit the snooze button once in a while.
Balance is an important part of life. Don't let your exercise regimen take over your life!
To learn more about your health and wellness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Arvada, Colo.