NUTRITION HOTLINE: Overexercise

Q: How do I know if I am exercising too much?

A: Moderate exercise has been defined as less than an hour per day and not every day of the week. Symptoms of overexercising can include fatigue, weight loss, trouble sleeping, decreased bone density, absent or infrequent menstruation, dehydration, bingeing, injury, and pain or soreness afterwards. Moderate exercise also includes doing a variety of aerobic and non-aerobic exercise such as walking and strength training or Pilates or yoga.

How you think about exercise also matters. The need to exercise after eating a certain amount of calories or certain foods, or feeling guilty when not exercising are examples of eating disorder thinking. When a person with an eating disorder overexercises, it is considered a compensatory behavior that is part of the eating disorder (it used to be categorized as a form of purging). Normal exercise is done to promote good health and to feel good physically, not to compensate for eating particular foods. People who exercise normally are able to be flexible with their routine, including taking a day off when they are sick or tired, or when a special event occurs on an exercise day.

Check with your physician or dietitian for specific feedback about your exercise routine.