How Much Exercise is Too Much? Know Consequences of Overtraining Syndrome (OTS)

Exercising is definitely the best way to stay fit and maintain a healthy body. However, your exercise routine should be properly planned and training should be done as per the desired goals. Most people perceive exercise as just a physical activity to move your body or lift weights randomly in order to sweat out. But that's not the case. Exercising should be done smartly, focusing on the current body's composition. Let's take a look at how much you should exercise for a healthy body and also discuss the consequences of overtraining syndrome (OTS). WORST Exercises and Workout Mistakes That Will RUIN Your Fitness Goals.

How Much Should You Exercise?

There is no fixed duration of training hours as per any guideline. A lot depends upon what you are training for. Before planning your exercise programme, define a well-set goal. Some might train for just basic fitness, while few might exercise for an aesthetic body and there might be many who will have to work on major fat loss. For sportspersons, the training is altogether different, where they exercise on the development of their game. Is Breakfast Important for Weight Loss? How to Make Your Morning Meal Healthy.

Irrespective of whether you are a sportsperson or not, it is important to train to such an extent which should not lead to muscle loss. Depending upon the intensity of the exercise, you should eat healthy digestible carbohydrates, one to three hours prior to your workout. Carbohydrates are the main source of anaerobic ATP (adenosine triphosphate)which should be effectively utilised for a good workout session. Ideally, your workout shouldn't last more than 90 minutes and not more than two muscles should be trained on a single day. Excessive cardio should also be avoided, twice in a week is enough, while weight training should be done thrice in a week. Five days of intense training every week should be enough to provide the body with results. Also, the body recovers and grows when you provide good rest and quality proteins.

Consequences of Overtraining Syndrome (OTS)

Excessive workout leads to overtraining syndrome (OTS) which can prove to be fatal for the body. Below listed are a few consequences of OTS.

1. Training some muscle part excessively can lead to muscle pain or joint pain. It can even hamper the training program if you encounter sciatica nerve pain.

2. If you are aiming to increase your PR (Personal Record) in weight training, then make sure you give at least two to three days' gap between that particular exercise. For e.g, if you had performed squats on Monday, then make sure you do it again on Thursday.

3. OTS can even lead to insomnia, which is not at all good, as the body develops muscle and burns calories while sleeping. The mechanism is known as Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR).

4. Excessive workout can even lead to the worst scenario of rhabdomyolysis, where substances from damaged muscle tissue leak into the blood. This state can be identified if the colour of urine turns slight red after the workout.

5. As per a research published in the Journal of Preventative Medicine, exercising more than 7.5 hours a week could lead to anxiety and poor mental health.

Before planning the exercise programme, consult with a certified personal fitness trainer. Also, if you are a beginner, make sure you perform each exercise under the guidance of an expert to avoid injuries. Remember, exercise is just one out of the three important pillars for attaining good fitness, the remaining two are diet and sleep.

(This article is written for an informative purpose and should not be substituted for medical advice. Kindly consult your doctor before trying any tips.)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 08, 2020 05:47 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).