If you have not been living under the rocks, you know that you need to exercise if you want to lose weight and stay fit. But if you have been applying for weight loss, you must have been drawn into the popular workouts like CrossFit and HIIT. But it turns out that aggressive high-intensity interval training or intense cardio may not be the smartest way to lose your weight and feel your best. Overexercising can have a lot of side effects on your body. Here's what you should know.

What Happens to Your Body When You Exercise Too Much?

Overexercising releases the hormones CRH and cortisol, both of which are related to the stress response. With the rise of cortisol levels with rigorous exercises, there is also too much wear and tear in the body. Additionally, high cortisol also reduces gut motility, blocks digestion, and cuts blood flow to the gut, all of which are critical immune functions. You may, therefore, need to reduce the intensity of your workouts, if you do not want to suffer from these side effects. Yoga for Weight Loss: A Step-by-Step Method to Lose More Weight and Burn Fat With the Practice.

What is the Effect of Overexercising on Weight Loss?

Sometimes, overexercising can be counterintuitive. Intense exercise can raise cortisol even further, which in turn, can lead to weight gain, blood sugar problems, knee pain, and fatigue. So do not get stuck in the process of reviving your body with too much exercise. Practice more adaptive exercise like yoga, Pilates, and barre to help your body respond better. You will not only lose weight, but your joints will also be happier. Weight Loss and Calorie Burn: Ways to Torch More Calories During Your Next Workout.

How Much Exercise is Too Much?

On the other hand, inactivity is not suitable for you either. Sitting for too long can increase your risk of diabetes and heart disease and also contribute to low back pain and stiffness. Not exercising can hurt your immune system and reduce your stress resilience. So, the best idea is to take a middle ground and exercise moderately. Performing intense tasks frequently can lead to immune problems, injury, and a leaky gut. Is it a Good Idea to Exercise On an Empty Stomach? Everything you Need to Know About Exercising while Fasting and Weight Loss!

Bottomline: Like any other thing, too much of exercise is also wrong. But ideally, exercise for 20 to 30 minutes, four to five times a week to reap the maximum benefits.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 15, 2020 03:07 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).