Gain or pain?

Does your workout challenge you or destroy you? Anjali Sareen elaborates on how too much of anything can be a sore

That fitness should be a part of everyone’s life is a foregone conclusion and we are often told that exercise is good for us. However, there is cause for concern when this is extended to conclude — if working out is good for you, then working out more will be even better.

Exercise is meant to positively impact our daily living and health, on multiple levels — physical, mental, and emotional. But, as for many good things, there is the risk of taking it too far.

Too much exercise and/or doing extreme workouts can result in serious consequences on our bodies and minds. When is harder, faster, stronger too much?

Many fitness enthusiasts believe that joint pain, muscle soreness, constant fatigue, low energy, along with recurring or persistent injuries are a part of the
getting fitter and stronger curve.

To counter these effects, a series of mini-workouts, drills, flows, and physical therapy sessions start getting tagged on before and after these excessively demanding workouts.

Ramping up your workout routine too quickly or trying to push past your limits in every workout will likely do more harm than good for your body.

Peer pressure, body image and self-confidence issues often direct one’s workout choices. Sometimes what starts as a healthy interest in fitness can turn into an obsessive, extreme desire to constantly push limits to unhealthy levels — for that adrenaline rush or a need to constantly prove yourself.

Time to re-evaluate

Extreme workouts can be very appealing not only for the thrill and adrenaline rush they bring but also for the faster results they promise. But, without the right foundation in fitness and body conditioning, such workouts lead to injuries and long-term stress on the body’s system. You know what you are doing is not right when you find yourself relying on a network of trainers and therapists to get from one workout to the next. It is then time to re-assess your fitness programme.

The aspirational motivator

Extreme and intensely challenging workouts or exercises are a part of a professional sportsperson’s training, used by them to push past and improve their endurance and strength parameters to enhance their skill-set.

Social media enables glimpses into the training routines of these professionals, creating aspirational goals for many fitness enthusiasts.

However, it needs to be kept in mind that these workouts form a part of a systematic training programme designed and monitored by professionals for these individuals.

Snapshots of a few exercises do not provide the whole picture of the extensive training they undergo to achieve these fitness and strength levels.

Steer clear of reckless challenges

It has become popular for celebrity trainers, fitness enthusiasts and fitness reality shows to promote workouts that promise to be ‘insanely challenging’
and ‘extremely hard’. Such challenges are taken up by many, believing themselves to be capable of achieving the same.

They miss taking into account the training and learning curve of the individual(s) demonstrating as compared to their own. Fitness centres also often promote such workouts as group classes. Such classes generally have large numbers enrolled, often overlooking the suitability and safety concerns of participants.

Not entertaining enough

Unfortunately, boredom from current workout routines often has people signing up for extreme, ‘thrilling’ workouts. It is important to first understand that exercise is not meant to be a source of entertainment. Having said that, if you are experiencing boredom or monotony in your workouts the underlying cause probably is the unsuitability of that specific workout for you — it may not be programmed for your level of fitness, leading to a lack of progress and gains. An effective workout is one that can be scaled up systematically and progressively, to keep you challenged and motivated. A fixed routine followed over an extended period, with little or no change, leads to no results, frustration and boredom.

There is a difference in challenging yourself to move out of your comfort zone as opposed to punishing your body with ever-increasing pushing-the-limits workouts that lead to harm rather than good. Your workout should challenge you, not destroy you.

(The author works in the field of general fitness, sports, rehabilitation and special needs and is a Master Trainer for physiotherapists, sports trainers,
dancers, yoga and personal trainers, among others.)