SIGNS THAT YOU ARE DOING TOO MUCH CARDIO
Here are the signs that indicate you’re doing too much of it
To make it easier for you guys to figure out if you’re going overboard, Dr. Khemani lists out signs that indicate that you’re indulging in excessive cardio. Check ‘em out and make notes:
1. Fatigue
You do not feel well-rested even after a good night’s sleep as over-exercising can increase the levels of stress hormones like cortisol. Come bedtime, those stress hormones can keep you up and lead to decline in your sleep quality.
2. You’re always sore
Like any exercise, doing too much cardio can lead to injuries. These may be major injuries or minor ones. Often, we try to just push past a little soreness, but any pain should be addressed right away by visiting a physiotherapist/coach.
3. Your weight loss has slowed down
Too much cardio makes you lose muscle mass and this makes your metabolism slow. As a result, the fat burning mechanism in your body slows down. Thus, your weight-loss results won’t be as quick as they used to be.
4. Your ‘easy’ days consistently feel harder than usual
This is usually because the body hasn’t recovered from the previous day’s workout involving excess cardio.
5. Your heart rate remains fast
If you notice your resting heart rate by checking your heartbeat after waking up and it continues to stay high for 4-5 days continuously, it could be a dangerous indicator of too much cardio.
This happens because the muscle memory of your heart forgets what it is like to be relaxed and have a normal resting ‘tone’. This keeps the heart rate elevated.
So, how much cardio should be done ideally?
The right amount of cardio is based on a number of factors like age, existing medical history, along with current or past injuries. However, in general, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends 150 minutes or more of moderate-intensity physical activity, or 75 minutes or more of vigorous-intensity activity each week for overall health and disease risk reduction. Based on this guideline, you could do five brisk 30-minute walks a week.
