Less is Sometimes More When it comes to Exercise

Have you ever spent extra time in the gym or on your run to work off that chocolate or wine from the day before?

Have you ever pushed yourself to exercise even if you’re really tired because you are too scared to take a day off?

Are you worried that if you don’t work at your highest intensity every time you exercise you won’t get the results?

That was me too! It took me years after competing in bodybuilding to change my mindset about exercise. I thought if I didn’t work out twice a day, I would gain weight. It ended up that the opposite was true. By not listening to my body, I ended up with chronic insomnia, digestive problems and gaining weight.

What can happen to your body if you over exercise is that you are always in “flight or fight” mode and your body never gets to rest. You know your own body better than anyone else so make sure you listen to it.

If you are planning to exercise but had a poor night’s sleep then it might be better to go for a gentle walk or do 10 minutes stretching o yoga to give your body a chance to recover and feel more balanced.

High intensity exercise is great, but your body will respond well to also ensuring you have some nice restorative movement as well. Try it and see what happens! I promise you; it won’t affect your fitness or strength by swapping a couple of intense sessions with slower ones.