Is It Okay to Workout Every Day?
Is It Okay to Workout Every Day?
Maybe you have the time and motivation to workout 7 days a week, or perhaps you find the endorphin rush you feel after exercising to be addicting. It’s a fact that physical activity helps boosts your metabolism, encourages your body to burn fat and stored calories, increases energy, builds muscle, and so much more. But when it comes to working out every single day, can too much of a good thing be bad for your body?
The truth is that working out every day of the week is not beneficial. If fact, I always encourage my clients to have designated rest days. You need to give your body time to recover from intense workouts, and taking days off can actually give you better results.
Let’s look at the top 7 reasons below why working out every day is not a great idea.
- Your muscles need time to rest and repair
When you lift weights, it creates tiny tears in your muscles that can only be repaired during rest. This repair process makes your muscles stronger than before. Letting your muscles go through recovery, is just as important as lifting weights and working your muscles in the first place. If you’re training 7 days a week, your muscles are not getting the break they need.
- You have a higher risk of injury
When your muscles haven’t recovered from your prior workout, your odds of getting injured dramatically increase. If you push yourself too hard without a full recovery cycle you risk muscle fiber tears that can lead to severe muscle damage. You also risk wearing down joint cartilage, which can lead to constant joint pain. Therefore, it’s best to take at least one day off per week to avoid overtaxing your body’s ability to recover.
- It can make you feel moody and stressed
During exercise, your brain releases adrenaline and dopamine, which is what gives us that “high.” But heavy weights and intense training also promote the production of cortisol, the stress hormone. Cortisol levels typically decrease after your workout is done and your body repairs itself. But if you’re working out every day, your body doesn’t have time for repair, and cortisol levels will stay higher than usual, which leads to increased stress levels. Also, trying to fit in a workout every day can cause anxiety in itself, and may make you feel depressed from feeling run down.
- You may feel more tired and sluggish
Yes, working out gives us a nice energy boost, but more exercise doesn’t mean you’ll feel more energized. If you’re feeling tired and sore and find yourself crashing in the afternoons from your early morning workouts, then you need a break. It’s okay to sleep in and miss the gym once every few days. You might find you have more energy on those days as well.
- You may lose motivation
If you workout every single day and never allow yourself time off, you’re likely going to lose motivation. And if you’re not eager to exercise, it becomes a chore. Taking a break for a day or two will bring excitement and motivation back to your workout routine, and it will feel new and fresh again.
- Fat loss can plateau
Sure, working out can help you achieve your fat loss goals, but if you exercise too often and too intensely, it can have the opposite effect. Your body has built-in protective mechanisms which can cause fat loss to plateau
- It can lead to burnout
Life is all about balance. If you spend too much time and energy on getting to the gym and working out, it can lead to burnout. Exercise is a healthy lifestyle choice, and it’s better to stick with a program that fits in with your schedule and how your body reacts. If an exercise routine doesn’t make you happy, then it’s not the right one for you. If you’re excited to get back to it after taking a day off, then you know it’s the right fit.
