10 Signs Your Good Workout Habits Are Going a Little Too Far

As a trainer and a Pilates instructor, I am always encouraging my clients to get more active. Taken to the extreme, though, too much exercise will have negative consequences on the mind and body. We asked some experts in fitness, nutrition, and psychology to help identify symptoms of overexercising – keep reading to find out what they said.

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1. You’re sore every day. Some level of soreness is expected after a hard workout, but your muscles should improve as you adjust into a new program. DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) usually occurs one to three days postexercise and will continue to get better over time. If you’re in daily pain without any relief, you might be causing more muscle damage than you intended.
2. Injuries keep cropping up. Physical therapist Christine Gorsek says, “Continuing to struggle with the same injury causing tendinitis may be a sign of overexercise. Try to add some variety to your routine – such as bodyweight-only exercises, water aerobics, yoga to challenge your body in a new way – and prevent repetitive overuse that will cause you pain.” If you are a new mom, paying attention to your body and activity is especially important to keep your long-term-injury risk down.
3. Rapid weight loss. “Although weight loss may be your goal, losing weight too quickly can be unhealthy,” says nutritionist and dietitian Stefanie Mendez. “It’s not just body fat that is being lost; your body will also break down muscle when the demands are too high on your body. Healthy weight loss is recommended at one to two pounds per week. If you’re losing weight more rapidly than that, consider decreasing the amount of cardio exercise being done and increasing the amount of food being consumed.” Make sure that you’re getting adequate amounts of food and fluid and not burning off excessive amounts of calories.
4. Loss of appetite. It should be noted that exercise may lead to nausea post-workout, but if you find your appetite is not returning, it’s time to take action – especially since you need calories to fuel your workouts effectively! Don’t be afraid to cut your workout times down, take a rest day, or have a fitness professional create the best program for you.
5. Ravenous appetite. Working out crazy amounts may contribute to consuming more calories than you burn. I tell my clients to start with 30 minutes of daily…

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