Most of us don’t need to be sold on the benefits of exercise. Mind, body and spirit are nourished by physical activity, whether it’s gardening, or Iron Man training. Specific beneficiaries of exercise include, though are not limited to, the cardiovascular system, the skeletal system and the immune function of the body.
With all that said, caution in varying the amount and type of exercise to suit not just taste, but conditioning, age and overall health, is important. Those unused to exercise should build up slowly. Australian guidelines suggest an overall moderate exercise accumulation of about 2-5 hours and a lesser portion, between about 1-2 hours of intense exercise, or a combination of the two.
To keep healthy a balance has to be struck between energy taken in, by eating, and energy expended in physical activity. When the balance is broken health issues occur. Signs that the energy expended in physical fitness is getting excessive can include, ongoing missed periods in women, hormonal imbalance, which can actually drive up weight, an overly high resting heart rate, dehydration and poor sleeping patterns. Rest days, which allow the body to recharge, should help avoid the possibility of overdoing it.
Read more: How Much Exercise Is Too Much?