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I eat pretty good and have been working out most of my life. I have a good routine, 10-30 minutes of intense exercise 5 days a week. My health is good. I just do not see the utility in working to the point where I am losing quality of life, my mental and physical energy going down.
I still dont understand how you can lose "quality of life" by working out and improving your health/fitness. If you equate your "mental and physical energy going down" as losing quality of life, Im sure (as others have already mentioned) that it has to do with your nutrition intake. Poor nutrition AND lack of sleep will do that to you.
Yeah, "over-training" can do far more harm than it can good, in many cases.
And it can also lead to a whole host of nasty ailments: depression, fatigue, muscle soreness, stiffness, and insomnia. Some people even get flu-like symptoms when they over-train.
I was a victim of this particular malady earlier this summer; I had been running six and sometimes even seven days a week, most of it in this crazy Texas heat we've been having (90 days so far of 100 or higher!). And in addition to doing about 25 miles a week, I was lifting weights four to five days a week. I then began noticing that I had absolutely zero energy when I would head-out for my run; I'd have to literally force myself out the door. And my strength was way down as far as my weight-lifting capacity. I would feel like taking a nap in the middle of the day: something I never do.
So anyway, I was talking with another trainer and friend of mine at my gym and when I told him all this he just flat-out said that I was over-training. I needed to take a week off of doing absolutely zero exercise. (And for any of you who are now in the situation I was and are thinking of doing this, go ahead, it won't hurt your physical conditioning at all. Studies have shown that you can go up to three weeks without working-out before you begin to regress as far as your overall fitness or endurance are concerned.)
The week off did wonders for me. I went out and ran 5 miles on the 9th day after my brean and had never had a better, easier run. I truly felt re-energized, and I recommend some time off for anyone who thinks they may need it. As far as fitness is concerned, it's always better to err on the side of caution.
Lastly: truth be told, four days a week of working-out is enough for anyone who is not in some sort of training for an upcoming event, or is not a serious athlete. For the average Joe who just wants to stay fit and look and feel good, 4 days is almost always sufficient.
I still dont understand how you can lose "quality of life" by working out and improving your health/fitness. If you equate your "mental and physical energy going down" as losing quality of life, Im sure (as others have already mentioned) that it has to do with your nutrition intake. Poor nutrition AND lack of sleep will do that to you.
He may have meant different things.
When I agreed with him, I meant something like the gym has occupied too much central focus in my life that, I'm always putting my schedules around the gym.
I could be going to a nice place Saturday, but no, I have to work out between 8:30 and 11:30, and lunch following on, half my saturday is gone. While other people went to a nice weekend spot, saturday morning and are spending all day there.
Then comes Sunday, again I'm in the gym at the same time, church at noon, then lunch, then most of Sunday is gone. While the weekend traveler is out there, chilling out in some picnic spot, continuing from Saturday.
So you see, I can't even go to places if I wanted to, becoz I'm particular about falling out of schedule and adding weight. I have what Russell Crowe has. He once said in an interview that even if he stops working out for 2 days, his body "tries" to gain weight. I think it may be genetic in me, other people eat all sorts of ***** and continue to stay thinner without gymming.
True. But really, is anyone here so into working out so much that their quality of life is suffering? I know a LOT of people who workout, I dont think Ive ever known anyone who does it to excess to where they think their quality of life suffers. Heck, even professional athletes dont do this. Well, unless you think of young/teen olympic gymnast hopefuls. Maybe them, because they live and train daily and dont do any "normal" teen stuff like regular school, proms, etc.
But for the folks here on CD and the people they know, I doubt any of them suffer because of exercise.
Yeah, "over-training" can do far more harm than it can good, in many cases.
And it can also lead to a whole host of nasty ailments: depression, fatigue, muscle soreness, stiffness, and insomnia. Some people even get flu-like symptoms when they over-train.
I was a victim of this particular malady earlier this summer; I had been running six and sometimes even seven days a week, most of it in this crazy Texas heat we've been having (90 days so far of 100 or higher!). And in addition to doing about 25 miles a week, I was lifting weights four to five days a week. I then began noticing that I had absolutely zero energy when I would head-out for my run; I'd have to literally force myself out the door. And my strength was way down as far as my weight-lifting capacity. I would feel like taking a nap in the middle of the day: something I never do.
So anyway, I was talking with another trainer and friend of mine at my gym and when I told him all this he just flat-out said that I was over-training. I needed to take a week off of doing absolutely zero exercise. (And for any of you who are now in the situation I was and are thinking of doing this, go ahead, it won't hurt your physical conditioning at all. Studies have shown that you can go up to three weeks without working-out before you begin to regress as far as your overall fitness or endurance are concerned.)
The week off did wonders for me. I went out and ran 5 miles on the 9th day after my brean and had never had a better, easier run. I truly felt re-energized, and I recommend some time off for anyone who thinks they may need it. As far as fitness is concerned, it's always better to err on the side of caution.
Lastly: truth be told, four days a week of working-out is enough for anyone who is not in some sort of training for an upcoming event, or is not a serious athlete. For the average Joe who just wants to stay fit and look and feel good, 4 days is almost always sufficient.
Its not necessarily the days in but the time in. Minimum health standards are 30m/5 days a week of moderate. (or 50m/3days a week)(150m/week total)
75 min total if its intense.
True. But really, is anyone here so into working out so much that their quality of life is suffering? I know a LOT of people who workout, I dont think Ive ever known anyone who does it to excess to where they think their quality of life suffers. Heck, even professional athletes dont do this. Well, unless you think of young/teen olympic gymnast hopefuls. Maybe them, because they live and train daily and dont do any "normal" teen stuff like regular school, proms, etc.
But for the folks here on CD and the people they know, I doubt any of them suffer because of exercise.
But I'm sure if you ask them, THEY believe their quality of life is great. They do something they love all day, every day. What else is there to quality of life, really
But I'm sure if you ask them, THEY believe their quality of life is great. They do something they love all day, every day. What else is there to quality of life, really
EXACTLY!! This is why I reject the comments by a couple of folks here about reduced or lowered quality of life by exercising.
I searched and did not find a similar thread, if I missed it please forgive me.
Do you ever consider the amount/intensity of exercise you do a big negative in your life???????
The reason I ask is because I could easily see many people feeling a need/obligation to exercise to the point where it takes away much of the physical/mental energy they have for other things.
I know some people are going to say that exercise makes them feel better and more energized about other aspects of their life...........I am not really speaking to them...............I am asking people who feel their workout routine has really detracted from other parts of their life, please be honest.
I am the type of person who has a very limited amount of energy. I find that mentally and physically I am MUCH better off if I only exercise 5 days a week.........10-30 minutes a day. I have my last workout on friday night......then rest until monday night. If I start doing a lot of exercise I just see my motivation shrinking for other aspects of my life.......ANYONE ELSE EXPERIENCE THE SAME??????
I think you have point there - I get tired of listening to the whole exercise is good for you, your life will be so much improved, the exercise is going to make you life perfect - I have ran marathons, half marathons, and played enjoyed soccer - whilst there was a goal involved - endlessly going to gyms and running without a target - to me is just boring, tedious and pointless.
And it does tire you out, and have knock on effect on your life.
Almost always the people who go to gyms the most are people who office jobs, they sit at the desks all day - and then rush to the gym in the evening - they drive, spend two hours or 3 or 4 times a week. When perhaps a fast walk or bike ride would do the job - natural exercise rather than contrived.
There are plenty of professional althletes that still keep fit, and don't live any longer than people who have taken no exercise all their lives, or they don't age less, they still look older, still get diseases - its a good part genetic. The other thing is fitness is lost so easily, after 3 or 4 weeks. Your body becomes used to burning off large amounts of calories therefore you pile on weight easily when you stop exercise.
If you take someone who is doing hard manual job for most of their life - they don't look terribly young - more like tired and worn out - so perhaps the poster has a point about the "cult of fitness" - perhaps the benefits of lots of fitness are overstated.
Have you used on of those free online programs to track your nutrients? I would do that just to make sure its not something like you need a touch of more protein etc. I would go in for a check up again. I agree with what you say about finding work/llife/selfcare balance...but with how you workout and if you eat pretty well...I would worry this tired thing is a sign of something going wrong in your body. You should be able to do 30 minutes of some cardio daily for your minimal health. So if you are tired, thats something I would discuss with a doctor. There are a lot of health problems where you feel generally fine but run low on energy.
^^^ has tips for more energy and why you could be low energy due to certain health issues.
Thanks for the thoughtful comments. Actually, what I do now works pretty darn good.
I probably gave people the impression that I am struggling to get through the day, struggling with functioning.......that is not the case. I just have seen many people go to what I consider a unmanagable level when it comes to exercise, they lose a lot of vitality for other things. I know I have fallen into that trap.
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