Exercise: How Much is Too Much? | E-Neighborhood Advisor

Unless you’re one of the few who have a regular fitness program, we all know we should get more exercise. But how much exercise is optimal? Is there such a thing as getting too much?

For certain, channel-surfing all day is not going to help your health. The dangers of sitting for long periods are now well known, so much so that conscientious companies include short exercise periods in their daily schedule.

But new studies seem to indicate that getting too much exercise can also be a problem. Marathon runners, for example, tend to have more heart problems than average. Weight lifters do too. Any extreme exertion puts a strain on various parts and systems of the body, especially if you overdo it when starting out.

Walking, dancing and swimming seem to be the best overall exercises for the body, causing little specific damage. But swimming is not an option for some of us. For some, walking seems boring. But if you make a habit of it, the activity can be very enjoyable. Try power-walking with a friend.

Many isometric-type exercises can be done at or beside your desk and it’s wise to make a habit of not sitting more than half an hour at a time. Household chores count as physical activity; so do gardening and snow shoveling in season.

So it all boils down, as it often does, to the good advice handed down centuries ago in ancient Greece. Over the arch leading to Delphi were written these words:

Know Thyself

Nothing in Excess

Oh, about the dancing? Do it whenever possible!

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Matt Capell