Exercise is such an important part of your overall health. It has many benefits from helping to regulate blood sugar, to increasing energy, improving sleep quality, improving immune function, and improving cognitive function. It is a form of stress on the body that can have some remarkable benefits and being able to find the right balance for what you are trying to achieve is very important.
Today, we live in a society that is constantly in this “go! go! go!” mentality, where you must do more if you want to get ahead. You must exercise longer if you want to lose more weight, you must diet harder if you want to get skinnier, bigger is better, more is better, you’re not doing enough…I think you get what I mean. This mindset often leads people down the path of completely overworking themselves when it comes to the exercise they incorporate into their daily or weekly routine.
For example, if your goal is to get healthier but you are exercising like you are preparing for a competitive event, while other areas of your health are not in alignment, such as, hormones, sleep, nutrition, stress management, your work-life balance, etc., you may be putting yourself in a position where you are overworking yourself. In fact, by overworking yourself, you may be creating more stress than your body is currently in line to handle. Consequently, this may result in diminishing effects. This is not to say that you shouldn’t be working hard, because you should be, and you should be pushing yourself during your workouts. But, if you are working out throughout the week, multiple times a day with the mindset that more is better and that more is going to get you better results, you may want to consider shifting your focus to a more balanced approach that incorporates a lot more active recovery and sleep, as well as an emphasis in the other areas of your life which may be out of balance.
The reality is that when it comes to getting healthy, it is okay to keep your exercise program simple. We do not have to go 100mph. A great place to start is by incorporating daily walks into your schedule. Thirty to sixty minute walks can have tremendous health benefits. Make them brisk walks that elevate your heart rate. And if you can do it outdoors in the sun, they are even better. Resistance training will also have some great benefits. These workouts don't have to be excessive either. Three to four days a week anywhere from 30-60 minutes per day is a great place to start. Exercise will look different for everyone, but what’s important here is to make sure that you are moving daily, in a way that works for you. Work hard, but don’t overwork yourself. Find the balance and shift your focus to recovery and sleep, instead of double days and additional workouts.
Need help finding the right balance for your life? Get started with a free 1 hour consultation and see if our program can help you achieve your health goals.
Erick Rivas
Integrative Nutrition Health Coach
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