Less IS more.

There, I said it. 

Picture this. You decide you are going to start a health journey and join a new gym. You’re new to the entire gym space, but have heard the buzz surrounding high-intensity interval training for weight loss. Sounds great, right? Whether you begin taking classes or follow a program, you start with 3-4 days a week. After a couple weeks, going to the gym becomes a habit, you even start to look forward to it! A couple weeks later, you start to notice the “results” you had been hoping for when you started. You start to see the reward of all the hard work you have put in over the past couple weeks, but you decide it isn’t enough. So, you increase your overall training schedule to 6-7 days a week. You have to get at least an hour of a workout in for it to feel like it “counts” or else you come back later to finish. Rest days start to become far and few, because you feel like taking a day off is going to ruin your progress. Before you know it, you are no longer taking any days off, training intensely 7 days a week, and feel like you “have” to go to the gym. 

If you have felt this before. I hear you. I have been exactly where you stand or stood.

Over my years in my personal movement journey, I have fallen in and out of intense over-exercising cycles. I went from being obsessed with running every day to “having” to do 2 cycling classes a day. I believed cardiovascular fitness was the only way to success with the physique I had always aspired to have (News flash, it isn’t). I felt bad about myself if I ever took a day off from cardio, let alone an actual rest day with no exercise. Exercising became compulsive, not a habit.

This compulsive behavior began to affect my relationships around me. I became more and more isolated from my social life to be able to “be fit” and maintain my usual schedule. I began to turn down plans, say no to fun events with my friends, just to make sure I maintained the proper diet and regular workout routine. This isolation lead me to become depressed and anxious. I had anxiety around the potential of missing a workout or not getting enough time in the gym. I became anxious around my friends and having to cancel plans or say no to something social. 

My depression worsened and I thought exercise was my outlet. I thought the gym would save me.

The thing is, even though I thought I was doing the right thing by doing intense cardio 1-2x day, 7 days a week, I was doing more harm than good. I felt fatigued and was constantly tired. In addition, I was constantly starving, yet was giving my body probably too little calories. Although I thought I was benefiting my metabolism, I was hurting it. 

Our metabolism is a delicate balance. Our metabolism is essentially the chemical reactions that occur in our body’s cells that convert food to energy.  When we chronically over-exercise, we eventually slow-down our metabolism. Energy is no longer available for workouts, instead our body distributes the energy to essential functions such as brain and heart function. Unfortunately, functions such as our hormones and reproductive system take a back seat and can be damaged. For people who are exercising excessively and eating too few calories for weight loss purposes, this can actually hurt their progress in the long run. 

Furthermore, after a workout, our muscles need time to recover and repair. If we do not give our body proper time to recover from a workout, usually 24-48 hours depending on intensity, we risk not redeeming the benefits from the work we put in the gym. This is also why post-workout nutrition is so important to have proper protein and carbohydrates to repair broken down muscle and restore muscle glycogen for the next workout. 

We have to give our bodies the rest it needs both physically and mentally. We have to choose workouts that serve OUR individual bodies, not your best friends, not your boyfriends, and not your co-workers. Maybe a high intensity workout regimen works for your boyfriend, but low-impact workouts like Pilates and walking serve you best. Regardless, endless cardio is not the answer to your problems, and it could be doing you more harm than good. Instead, focus on workouts that make YOU feel strong. Give your body the rest it deserves. Realistically, our bodies need a minimum of 1-2 full rest days weekly to be able to function at our best. 

If taking time off from exercise and movement is difficult for you, I have been there and I understand you. Begin by taking 1 day off a week. Plan ways to distract yourself such as going to the store, visiting a friend, or making dinner with your family. I promise the more you make it a habit, the easier it will be. You will begin to notice an increase in energy, less fatigue, an increase in your metabolic health, and happier hormones. 

Exercise is not meant to be compulsive and not supposed to be something we “have” to do. Instead, we GET to move our bodies daily, that in itself is a gift enough.