Doing this exercise during the pandemic can have this alarming effect on your body

It seems like everywhere we turn, someone’s telling us to get exercise during the Coronavirus pandemic. 

Experts, friends and social media all tell us to walk more. Take a jog. Start a new fitness routine using bodyweight exercises. Just, keep doing physical things. 

While this advice is not necessarily bad, getting too much exercise can have a detrimental effect on your body, mind and energy. 

As with many things in life, balance is key. 

Is there such thing as too much exercise?

Many of us don’t get the recommended amount of exercise, which the Centers for Disease Control says is about 150 minutes a week – or 30 minutes a day for five days. With an obesity rate in the United States of more than one-third of the population, it is clear that a lot of us do not move enough. 

But, that does not mean it’s impossible to over-train. To workout too much. 

In fact, working out too much can reduce our strength and zap our energy during the pandemic, a time when our immune systems need to be strong. 

Symptoms of exercising too much

According to the Chicago Sun Times, exercising too much can result in several negative consequences, including a loss of appetite, sleeplessness, headaches and muscle soreness, irritability and difficulty concentrating. 

Anything more than about 300 minutes of exercise a week, reports the Sun Times, and we risk overtraining our bodies, which can have the opposite effect we want from working out. 

We also increase the risk of injury, weaken our immune system and feel tired, worn out and sore after the workout, which can reduce our level of happiness and overall comfort. 

If you workout regularly and feel any of these symptoms, then you might be exercising too much. 

Can I catch Coronavirus if I workout too much?

There is no hard and fast evidence to suggest that working out too much will make you more susceptible to catching Coronavirus. 

However, evidence does suggest that overtraining can make your immune system weaker which, as a result, could increase the chances of you getting sick. 

Research has also shown that we are more likely to get sick for up to 72 hours after a high-intensity workout that lasts more than 90 minutes, which is important research for those who run marathons or enjoy endurance-type exercising for longer periods of time. 

Though no definitive link exists between overtraining and catching Coronavirus, proper rest and recuperation should be a part of any exercise program. 

Training for up to 300 minutes a week will improve our health, strength and confidence, but anything more than that and we risk causing damage to our bodies and mental acuity. 

Stay strong and healthy!