Here at Every Body Balance, we’re big fans of fitness, athleticism, and pushing the limits of health and physical achievement. However, we also have the word balance in the name of our fitness studio. And while many of our blog posts are focused on the motivation side of fitness, we also want to convey that there’s a balance to that. Yes, there’s a place for the “get up and at ‘em” mindset. There’s a place for pushing through pain, soreness, and fatigue in order to make yourself stronger. However, what isn’t so commonly explored is the opposite side of that. You can hurt yourself by pushing past your limits.

Everything in life has to be in balance to be healthy. There is a balance between “don’t hold back from being as hardcore as you can” on the one hand and “just sit around and be flabby” on the other hand. We think the balance sounds something like this: “Listen to your body and build up gradually to the athletic goals you’re trying to meet. Don’t go overboard if you feel like something is wrong.”

Here are a few reasons why we think it’s important to shoot for that balance.

1. Too much strenuous exercise can hurt you.

If you’re not in shape and then you jump in to a massive workout that’s too intense for what you’re conditioned to handle, you put yourself at risk of injury, from torn muscles and inflamed joints to life threatening conditions like rhabdomyolysis. We definitely don’t want that to happen to you. If you are over-training, give yourself a bit of rest and allow your body to recuperate.

2. Too much strenuous exercise can demotivate you.

If you’re just beginning a workout program and you power through it, only to be unable to move the next day, you risk throwing yourself off track right from the beginning. Don’t do that. There’s no shame in doing fewer reps or taking longer rests when you’re just starting your workout program.

3. Too much strenuous exercise can lower your immune system.

While half an hour of moderate exercise can be just the thing to nip a sore throat in the bud, a prolonged session of intense exercise can do just the opposite. Too much exercise, especially when you’re not in shape for it, can tax your body of resources that your immune system needs to fight off invaders. Listen to your body, especially if you feel a bit under the weather. It doesn’t mean you can’t work out, but you should be watchful of going too far.

Being kind to your body means protecting it from needless injury, but it also means strengthening it. Most people will fall to one side or the other of the spectrum between lenient and hardcore. Either you do too little exercise and stop at the first sign of resistance or fatigue, or you have such insane willpower that you blow past your physical limits. Whichever side you fall on, do your best to head for the delicate balance point that’s optimum for you.

Join us for fitness classes at Every Body Balance today!