Keeping Fit: Could Exercise Be Dangerous?

Keeping your body in tip top condition is something we all aim to achieve, but some people take it to a dangerous level are in danger of damaging their bodies through developing a compulsion to work out to perfection.

Fitness Fanatics:

With so many celebrities looking ‘perfect’ there is added pressure to look good, meaning many people are pushing their bodies too far in order to achieve the unachievable.

Exercising sensibly helps people to feel happier with the way they look, by just doing a fitness class, going for a run or doing a whole fitness work out is enough to put people in a positive mood, which in turn makes them feel fitter and healthier.

On the other end of the scale, some people in the UK are living in a world where physical activity has stopped being a day-to-day part of our lives. As we have technology that does everything for us, so simply things such as washing and drying don’t involve any effort at all. Plus with the decline in manual labour and availability of strenuous jobs many of us spend most of our days sitting behind a desk.

While moderate exercise maybe good for the heart and lungs, it's emerging that too much of the wrong kind is bad news for the joints and can lead to a painful middle- and old-age. At the age of 50, Madonna without a doubt looks trim and fabulous, but look a bit closer and you will see incredibly thin and veiny arms, the result of a hectic workout schedule. However the sad fact is that so many people think this is an appealing look- putting themselves through their own demanding workout.

Too much exercise strains the heart muscles, and accelerates the breaking down of ATP in the cells, which will then increase the need for supplements. So if you’re working out too much, it makes a lot of sense to consider toning down the intensity and regularity of your exercise sessions.

Fitness First:

Top fitness coaches have expressed that celebrity fitness DVD’s are a ‘fat load of good’, which are said to give a false sense of ‘fitness reality’. Many people buy the numerous fitness DVD’s out there with the aim to looking like a celebrity, but the truth is they are ‘impractical, boring and dangerous’.

You may think you are being healthy by exercising but soon enough you could get an unhealthy obsession with fitness and the need to stay in shape. Changing your whole diet is necessary if you are on a tight workout regime, which if done wrong could mean you aren’t getting the protein and vitamins you need to keep your body healthy.

Many think that eating disorders are just extreme diets, but for some people compulsive exercise can also be a medically recognised feature of the condition. Exercising in the gym, healths clubs or even at home are all enjoyable and healthy forms of exercise, which has benefits beyond physical fitness - but the potential risks to those people who are affected by compulsive exercise are too high and need to be addressed.

If you work out too much you not only run the risk of temporarily causing injury you could also end up with lifelong effects, which might prevent you from doing things in the future. More is not necessarily better, aim for quality not quantity.