• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • HOME
  • NEWS+OPINIONS
    • NEWS TO US
    • COLUMNS
      • APPARENT HORIZON
      • DEAR READER
      • Close
    • LONGFORM FEATURES
    • OPINIONS
    • EDITORIAL
    • Close
  • ARTS+ENTERTAINMENT
    • FILM
    • MUSIC
    • COMEDY
    • PERFORMING ARTS
    • VISUAL ARTS
    • Close
  • DINING+DRINKING
    • EATS
    • SIPS
    • BOSTON BETTER BEER BUREAU
    • Close
  • LIFESTYLE
    • CANNABIS
      • TALKING JOINTS MEMO
      • Close
    • WELLNESS
    • GTFO
    • Close
  • STUFF TO DO
  • TICKETS
  • ABOUT US
    • ABOUT
    • MASTHEAD
    • ADVERTISE
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • Close
  • BECOME A MEMBER

Dig Bos

The Dig - Boston's Only Newspaper

TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING

Written by JILLIAN LOCKE Posted October 13, 2014 Filed Under: COLUMNS, LIFESTYLE, Wellness for Degenrates

Illustration by Scott Murry @hotdogtaco
Illustration by Scott Murry @hotdogtaco

Seems a fallacy, right? How could too much health, too much nutrition, too much strength, too much of a washboard six pack and Brazilian Butt Lift buns ever be too much? It’s not that the result is too much, but that the journey there can take a winding, obsessive, sometimes self-abusive path. The pursuit of our glamorized ideal of perfection can be too much for our bodies to handle.

 

Enter excessive exercising. I’ll preface this by saying I’m not pointing fingers or accusations at exceptionally fit people, athletes, or marathoners, but rather addressing an issue that I feel often goes overlooked or is blatantly ignored. There’s no argument—exercise is a good thing. Always. Even if we’re dealing with an injury, other parts of our bodies are always hungry for use and movement. We’re machines, remember, and we must properly feed, oil and maintain ourselves to keep up with the daily drag race. But in this sometimes damaging sprint to the finish, we’ve started turning a blind eye to some of the detrimental effects that excessive training and even overtraining have on us, long-term.

 

First, let’s acknowledge all of the awesome ways in which routine exercise enriches our bodies and minds: Our hearts pump more efficiently, allowing increased oxygen to flow through our blood. Our detoxification process increases, as well as the effectiveness of our immune system. Exercise creates a natural rise in endorphins, heightening our moods and diminishing our urges to smash our neighbors’ pumpkins after we’ve, once again, caught their dog popping a squat in our yards. Good heart, good defenses, good mood. Good game.

 

Now this is what happens when we neglect those all important “rest days” in lieu of pushing ourselves to burn off the apple crisp and pumpkin donuts that are now flooding our work spaces: By way of continuously breaking down muscle without giving it a chance to heal and repair, we’re forcing our bodies into a catabolic state in which we’re actually rupturing more than we’re rebuilding. Add microscopic tears to your muscle fibers, and you’ve just upped your injury risk. Remember all those mood-enhancing endorphins? When we push ourselves too hard, we release excess amounts of cortisol, a nasty stress hormone that not only contributes to belly fat and diminishes the ability to lose inches, but also increases the risk of chronic disease and inflammation. And of course, when we don’t allow ourselves regular, sufficient rest, our bodies forget how to wind down, leading to sleepless nights, which lead to a decreased immune function, which leads to illness, which leads to not being able to exercise anyway.

 

The lesson is simple—excessive exertion without proper recuperation time breaks down our brains and our bodies. Something else to keep in mind—rather than solely relying on obsessive physical activity to negate a poor diet, try balancing over-exercise with taking a rest day and making a meal fit for the temples that our bodies really are. Eat slowly and visualize that food nourishing and rebuilding those biceps and butt muscles. Let the workout work for you, by giving it a rest.


 

JILLIAN LOCKE
Related posts
  • JILLIAN LOCKE
    https://digboston.com/author/jillian-locke/
    WELLNESS FOR DEGENERATES: FEED THE FLOW
  • JILLIAN LOCKE
    https://digboston.com/author/jillian-locke/
    WELLNESS FOR DEGENERATES: JUST BREATHE
  • JILLIAN LOCKE
    https://digboston.com/author/jillian-locke/
    THE IMPORTANCE OF NOTHING
  • JILLIAN LOCKE
    https://digboston.com/author/jillian-locke/
    THE REAL CHOLESTEROL CULPRIT

Filed Under: COLUMNS, LIFESTYLE, Wellness for Degenrates Tagged With: balance, DigBoston, endorphins, Exercise, Nutrition, restraint, sleep, Strain, well being, Wellness

WHAT’S NEW

Inbox: "Reformers Vow To Press For Changes In the Massachusetts Democratic Party"

Inbox: “Reformers Vow To Press For Changes In the Massachusetts Democratic Party”

"Spotted Lanternfly, back_2017-06-16-16.50" by Sam Droege is marked with Public Domain Mark 1.0

Invasive Spotted Lanternfly Alert!

Morale Violation: Whistle-Blowers Report Culture Of “Retaliation,” “Nepotism” At Parole Agency

Morale Violation: Whistle-Blowers Report Culture Of “Retaliation,” “Nepotism” At Parole Agency

Inbox: "Black Youth File Racial Profiling Complaint Against Medford Police"

Inbox: “Black Youth File Racial Profiling Complaint Against Medford Police”

Mass One Step Closer To New-Prison Moratorium, But Not There Yet

Mass One Step Closer To New-Prison Moratorium, But Not There Yet

Congrats To Worcester On Coming In At #69 On Best Places To Live List

Congrats To Worcester On Coming In At #69 On Best Places To Live List

Primary Sidebar

FEATURED EVENT

Most Popular

  • Morale Violation: Whistle-Blowers Report Culture Of “Retaliation,” “Nepotism” At Parole Agency
  • We Turned the North End Restaurant Lawsuit Against Mayor Wu Into a Musical
  • Do You Want To Work For the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission?
  • Inbox: Red Bull Cliff Diving Returns To Boston Waterfront
  • How Long Can Major Cannabis Cultivators Sustain Massive Indoor Grows In Mass?

CURRENT STREET EDITION

DIG 24.08 – 04/21/22

Footer

Social Buttons

DigBoston facebook DigBoston Twitter DigBoston Instagram

Masthead

About

Advertise

Privacy Policy

Customer Service

Distribution

About Us

DigBoston is a one-stop nexus for everything worth doing or knowing in the Boston area. It's an alt-weekly, it's a website, it's an e-mail blast, it's a twitter account, it's that cool party that you were at last night ... hey, you're reading it, so it's gotta be good. For advertising inquiries: [email protected] To reach Editorial: [email protected] For internship opportunities: [email protected]