There’s a little old lady in my building that walks her dog approximately four times a day. And yes, she really is a little old lady. She’s maybe 5 feet tall and probably somewhere in the vicinity of 80 years old. Not the point. The point is that she never misses a beat. Rain. Shine. Snow. Wind. Doesn’t matter – she’s out there. It’s pretty admirable, actually; and it makes me feel like a wimp for refusing to go outside when the wind blows. But again, not the point.
I don’t spend a lot of time talking about fitness here on Spoons, and it’s not because I don’t think exercise is important, but because I really don’t have a lot to say on the subject. I wrote a post about my current “routine” waaaaay back when I first returned to blogging after my hiatus, and not much has changed since then. I still haven’t committed to any real workouts and I’m assuming that telling you guys that “I went for a nice 45 minute walk today” would start sounding redundant after a little while. Yep, I’m still keeping it to a walk a day, and sometimes I don’t even get one of those in. It really depends on how busy life gets.
Those busy days where you end up running around like a headless chicken. I didn’t want to traumatize you guys by showing you an actual headless chicken, so hopefully this gets the point across.
So it’s been well over a year and a half since I gave up on formal workouts. Before that, I was working out 5 or 6 days a week for about an hour a day, alternating between lifting and cardio. I go into a little bit of detail about why I cut back on exercise here, but basically I just started feeling really run down all the time and I experienced what I believe were the symptoms of overtraining on a pretty regular basis. I’m still not entirely sure why, since I didn’t feel like I was overdoing it at the gym and I did my best to make sure I was eating enough, but maybe my body just didn’t have enough time to heal after the whole eating disorder fiasco – after all, five years of starvation is a lot of damage done.
But I digress. I have no idea why my workouts were having such a negative effect on me, but I do know that I experienced a world of good when I gave them up. It sounds horrible, doesn’t it? Praising the benefits of not exercising in a world that’s trying to get people off the couch? But I don’t really think that motivation to exercise is an issue in the blog world; exercise addiction seems to be a much bigger problem.
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I get quite a few e-mails from girls struggling with exercise addiction – girls who want to cut back on their workouts, but continue to slave away at the gym because they’re afraid of what might happen if they don’t. I get it – I was the same way. Words like unhealthy, lazy, and fat plagued me constantly in those early stages; but after a year and a half, I feel like I can confidently tell you guys what does happen when you stop exercising…
Nothing.
Or at least, nothing bad. I did go through a lot of changes, but none of them were what I was expecting.
Physical Changes
Weight. A fear of weight gain seems to be what holds most people back from cutting back on exercise – at least that was definitely the case for me. But as counterintuitive as it may seem, I actually ended up losing weight and leaning out, despite not making any huge changes to my diet. Before I stopped, I was working out regularly and eating clean, but in spite of my best efforts, I was slowly putting on weight that was not muscle. This is all speculation, but I think what wound up happening was that the physical stress from exercise just ended up being too much for my body, exhausting my adrenal system, screwing with my hormones, and causing my my body to hold on to fat. Not good. After I stopped, that extra weight dropped off, and I’ve been easily maintaining ever since.
Sleep. Big improvements here. I have a way easier time falling asleep and actually staying asleep. Before, it would take me forever to drift off to sleep, and I’d constantly be waking up during the night. And if you think my current 5:30-6 mornings are bad, they’re nothing compared to my 4-4:30 mornings from before. Oi.
Energy. Obviously, more sleep means I have a lot more energy, but in addition to that, I don’t feel nearly so fatigued all the time. Back in the day, I was constantly dealing with limbs that felt like they were made of lead, and always fighting the “I-don’t-want-to-get-up-from-the-couch” feeling. I would get my workout in and then just want to be lazy for the rest of the day.
Digestion. As with sleep, huge improvements here. Less bloating, less cramping, less stomach problems in general. It may have been the increased amounts of protein that I was trying to eat, but my stomach seemed to be in a constant state of unrest back in the day. It still acts up occasionally, but usually only when I eat something that doesn’t agree with me or I get overly stressed out.
Mental Changes
Less stress. This might just be the best change I experienced. I know people use exercise as a way to deal with stress, but for me it became a huge source of stress. Back in the day, my life revolved around exercise and I would basically plan my entire day around when I could get to the gym. All of my meals and snacks had to be perfectly timed and planned (pre workout/post workout macros), I would turn down opportunities that clashed with my planned gym time, and I would freak out if something spontaneously came up and prevented me from going to the gym. Stress, stress, stress. The constant planning and rigidity got to be way too much. Now? No plan, no stress. Sometimes I walk in the morning, sometimes at lunch, sometimes in the evening – sometimes I don’t get a walk in at all. If the opportunity presents itself, I take it. If not, I don’t worry.
Less obsession. I’m not quite sure how this one came about, or if it’s even directly related, but I became a lot more relaxed after giving up formal workouts. There’s no longer that mentality that I have to get a certain amount of exercise in or that I have to eat 100% clean. Lazy days don’t bother me and neither does enjoying the occasional slice of cake or serving of McDonald’s fries. Even without my constant planning and stressing, my body seems to be managing just fine. Better, in fact.
. – . – . – .
These changes definitely didn’t happen overnight. I was one big ball of anxiety when I first gave up exercising, but as the benefits became more and more apparent over time, my anxieties slowly eased up.
I should probably end this with a disclaimer that I don’t think exercise is a bad thing at all. In fact, I think being physically active is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle… but what that means is different for everyone. Going to the gym and following a structured workout plan isn’t the only way to be healthy. It may work for some, but it’s not the only way to go about it. I recently came across a pretty interesting article that claims that normal, every day lifestyle activity is as healthy as going to the gym. I believe it. I don’t exercise but I do my best to stay active, and I can honestly say that feel and look the best that I ever have.
No questions today. I would just love to hear your thoughts.
This is a great post, I’ve been through some exercise-addicted periods and it’s really draining! Thanks for sharing, dear 🙂
I love you. I mean that in a very non-creepy way. 😉
But this is such a fabulous post. This is such an important part of the recovery process. “Nothing bad happened”. Amen! You’re doing good things and helping many people.
Have a wonderful weekend, dear!
I don’t know how you do it, but your posts always seem to address EXACTLY what I’ve been thinking about or dealing with. It’s kind of creepy…
I’ve been there too, girl. Exercise addiction is a scary thing and I feel like it’s not only becoming more accepted, it’s being praised. I truly believe that social media (Pinterest, Instagram, Tumblr, etc.) are the biggest culprits- we’re constantly bombarded with quotes and images that convince us that we should spend ‘X’ amount of hours in the gym, or burn ‘X’ amount of calories to be healthy. Sooo not true.
It’s so refreshing to see a blogger, like yourself, that has truly overcome exercise addiction. I can relate 100% to all of the positive changes you saw when you cut back. It was amazing and completely shocked me. I fully expected to blow up like a balloon. Oh, the silly tricks our minds play…
Ohhhh fitspiration…. That’s an entirely different rant in itself *left eye twitches*
just the right post at the right time.
You won’t believe me how helpful your writing is Amanda…
I’m currently fighting my exercise addiction and you talked about all the topics that circle in my head, the fear of what will happen if i cut back on running.
But i ended up with “shin splints” and sunday is my first half marathon so i had to rest the last 14days and i still run in pain… because i overexercised and didn’t rest…
I can totally relate with what you wrote as I have definitely felt myself getting addicted to exercise. My lifestyle has changed recently and it has really impacted my ability to exercise as much. But stressing out about it and being unhappy about the frequency of exercise is worse than not exercising at all. Being active should be about having fun and being healthy not how many hours you logged or how hard you pushed yourself. Maybe for athletes, but not for us normal people. I have to constantly remind myself that just going on a long walk is good enough so thanks for the affirmation!
i swear you are mini me. YEp, same thing happened. 8 months of just walking and yoga, good for the mind, body, and soul. Thanks for sharing your beautiful heart amanda! you don’t know how much of an impact you are onto others. xxoo
Adore this post! It’s interesting, because in a society where obesity is such a huge concern, people forget that overtraining can be a huge problem as well. I love your laid back attitude and think that a lot of people could benefit from adopting it!
You know that I tried a similar approach for the last month, and I’ve been loving it. I go to the gym when I have time and when I feel up to it, as opposed to “must get to the gym in this one hour window!” so coincide with pre and post workout meals, etc…it was ridiculous and causing a ton of stress. It’s crazy how much more relaxed I’ve felt the last couple of weeks just getting in workouts when I can! And building exercise into day-to-day life has been huge as well…I basically consider Saturday groceries/errand running to be a workout, because I park near the back of each of the lots I go to and get a ton of walking in. And I’m likely going to be biking to work most days when I start next week…so yay informal exercise!
I remember a year or two ago when I HAD to workout 6 days a week, and if something messed with my routine I would be a massive ball of anxiety. Not a particularly fun way to live, especially when I was breaking or avoiding plans just to fit my workouts in. I’d rather focus on living, than what happens in the gym!
I get a full body workout every Saturday when I clean my entire place
Vacuuming and scrubbing get my heart rate up like nothing else 😆
I think your version of daily exercise is perfect. Walking is a GREAT way to stay active without the stress on your body. I have been walking a LOT more lately and cutting back on the intense workouts. Your theory on losing weight when you stopped working out makes a lot of sense. Stress and body fat go HAND in HAND! Thanks for sharing this post! I love to see how things work for other people.
I completely agree with that article, I think being generally active in life is way better than set workout ‘routines’ however I think the issue for a lot of people is that now we have cars etc that active lifestyle we would have once had is gone and the gym becomes more convenient. I’m definitely making more of an effort to walk whenever I can, if I worked somewhere in walking difference I’d be tempted to knock the gym right down! Still love a bit of yoga as well though 🙂
Convenience is definitely a huge factor, especially somewhere like here where winter lasts 6 months 😕 But one thing that bothers me is that I find a lot of people use the gym as a reason to be less active for the rest of the day. It’s like… I already worked out, so now I can just veg around.
Love this post, Amanda! I have to agree with you on exercise addiction. It IS a real thing these days, just as not exercising enough is. Exercise addiction can be just as bad in my eyes. Working out is a paradox, it actually stresses the body, and it breaks muscles down. That is why rest is SO important in an exercise routine. Since your muscles are broken down in the gym, they need just as much time to heal! A lot of people have a hard time wrapping their head around it, but it is something that people need to learn.
Good post! It’s definitely important to be aware of being obsessed with something that’s good for you, like working out. I have practiced telling myself it’s okay to take a few days off here and there and it works!
I really do love this post!! I have gone through periods where I will completely stress out about my workouts and like you say here, it caused so many other problems. I really have to catch myself when I start to feel that coming on. Sometimes I even have to avoid blog reading so that I don’t hit the comparison game.
I love just being able to get a walk in and enjoy the time to myself. 🙂
I realized I wake up a lot at night and get up even earlier (I am a total morning person regardless) when I am overtraining. I don’t take rest days too often so I just try to vary my intensity each week and sub in walks instead of runs or spin. I love my 30 min a day even if it is a slow walk. It is so important that we pay attention to our bodies and realize we are not like anyone else – what works for me may or may not hold true for someone else.
One thing that I found was keeping me chained to my after work workout regime in an obsessive way was the ROUTINE of it all.
The obsession with having my day planned out, that little break between work and home, became tyrannical. I literally had no idea what I would do if I didn’t go to the gym even if it was only for 15 minutes.
It really helped me to have back up plans to fill that time frame and what was perfect for me was an easy (leisurely) walk with my dog as the sunset listening to Podcasts.
This is a great post and you nailed it right on the head. First, I completely agree that over excersing is a huge issue in the blogging world. People compare themselves constantly..on ability level…ability to physically work out…how much…how long…ect…
Here is the thing as someone who ran collegiate and reads a few collegiate athlete blogs, often times there is not exact line of how much is too much. I also find a lot of bloggers blame that they are college athletes for how much they work out (which sorry D3 sports no one forces you to lose weight and no one forces you to run as much as claimed…anyways). I personally think the best way to look at over training is looking at injuries as well as energy level. Knowing when to back off and not saying “rest days are hard”…as someone who is taking a rest day today actually I can tell you…nothing hard about that.
I feel this was more of a rant than comment but that’s that.
Ahhh I lovelovelove this post so much. I used to have such a hard time with rest days because I would feel the need to go out there and break a sweat so I didn’t feel like a useless lump all day. I’ve been kind of forced to start taking more rest days because the mileage I’ve been running has been too much for my body, and I’m still on the fence about it. I know my body needs rest, but…ah! Anxiety out the wazoo.
Anyway, this helped bring me some peace of mind. It’s nice to hear from a healthy living blogger who doesn’t do 2 hours of exercise per day, and it’s nice to know that no one has to! 🙂
The rest will do you good – promise 🙂 And girl… useless lump? Pft. How much you exercise has nothing to do with how much you’re worth.
Great post – I love that you talk more about this issue. I used to gain weight while training for my first 10 K, though it only were 5-6 pounds really bothered since they obviously weren’t made out of muscles. Afterwards I tried various sports programs and ended only gaining a bit more. This year I consciously decided to cut back on sports and only do what’s fun for me and for the first time in two years I actually lost a few of those pounds and maintained my weight. Yoga and short runs or long walks are the only thing I do nowadays and I am happy this way.
I totally understand the exercise addiction thing. I used to have SO much anxiety around the gym. Now, I pretty much work out for one hour, four times per week, when I teach my group exercise classes. I also count walking to/from campus as daily exercise! I love walking!
I really liked this post, Amanda! Over-exercising is becoming too prevelant in our world, probably due to the pressure to look a certain way. I’m really glad someone posted realistic results of what happenes when you stop or cut back!
I have a very OCD personality and I tend to “plan” everything, but I try not to let that dictate my exercise schedule. I usually try to do whatever I’m feeling that day and attend some gym classes that I enjoy. Exercise is important, but it’s also important not to let it control your life. We need rest days, days with our family, and days to just veg out and relax, too!
I love your ability to write about issues that are so important and relevant to so many girls. I love to exercise as it is a great stress release for me and makes me feel better throughout the day, but like so many other things, taken to any extreme, it can be incredibly detrimental to our health and well being. I try to live my life with balance – in food, work, exercise, rest, and fun – but that is definitely easier said than done at times. Thanks for another great post 🙂
Love this post. Going through multiple surgeries, I’ve learned to cope with taking time off from exercise… Going from a couple of weeks to months. Unforunately, the biggest struggle for me is to eat while I’m just laying around all day. I realize our bodies need fuel to live and we naturally burn calories even while sitting. I just have to have a constant reminder of why I need to just… eat. It’s horrible how much your mind changes and you see exercise as an excuse to eat ANYTHING. It’s hard for me right now because my knee is so swollen from surgery and there’s no hope of walking at the moment… But I just have to stay positive and remember food will only heal. I need to take my own advice. <3
That can be the hardest thing sometimes. I can write you a Post-It note to remind you. I’ll even use a pink one and decorate it with flowers and ladybugs 🙂
I really admire the way you live now post disorder. I am the first to admit I’m an exercise fiend, but every summer I find myself injured in some way the prevents me from working out for about a month, and you’re right- the weight falls off, which is a big concern for a lot of people. I actually had to make sure I was eating more at one point last summer because I started to get too thin and it wasn’t intentional at all. Stress is a big part of that and while I do use running as my way to cope with stress, it also causes a lot of stress and that’s hard to see when you’re so obsessive about it. I enjoy the days where I walk for weeks at a time. I was thinking about this very subject on my run this morning, actually, and I think you’ve inspired me to take a slightly longer hiatus from running than I was originally planning. As usual, you were spot on in your opinion on a really controversial subject.
Thanks a million!! You know I need to read this, since I am a huge struggeler with overexercising. So inspiring and another kick for me to do some work on that.
I used to do so much cardio at the gym. I was that girl slaving away on the elliptical 6 days a week for an hour getting no results. My body was run down and I wasn’t eating enough. I am so glad I hired the right trainer for me who taught me overtraining can be so harmful. Now I workout 6 days a week, but on a completely different schedule and feel 100 times better. It just goes to show everyone’s body is different.
So true! And the worst part about it is that, in a lot of cases, people genuinely want to do good and it’s a lack of knowledge that messes them up. If only we could all have trainers to tell us what to do <3
Its nice to hear your stuggles and how you have changed them. What works for one person may not work for another, but I do agree that working out is an addiciton. I can admit I am addicted to crossfit. Its so new to me so I am loving it but I hope that it doesnt cause me problems and I want to be able to be “okay” with missing days. I also believe that walking is great exercise and it actually gives me a mental break.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I’ve been without exercise for 5 weeks due to a stress fracture. I think you’re spot on with your commentary about obsessing and stress. I get really frustrated if I have to stay late at work and miss my spin class, or if a family function pops up and I can’t get my workout in. Working out is PART of a healthy lifestyle, but it is not the end-all-be-all of healthy living. I think finding a balance is the most important thing. I still struggle with this and have to put myself in check from time to time. I’m not sure how my time off will impact me when I get started again, only time will tell.
Interesting post. 🙂 In the depths of my ED and early recovery I would compulsively walk for hours every day, but I slowly cut that out (with difficulty). I’ve taken up running recently (actually almost a year ago now, eek!) and more recently started trying to get into weight lifting. I absolutely love it and I really feel it’s helped me in recovery in a lot of ways. I love how free and how strong it makes me feel, and I love my body (which for years I hated) for letting me feel that way. When I go without exercise for a while then my mood plummets.
That said, I do sometimes worry about some of the ‘side effects’ of exercise: I often find that when I’m exercising I start to worry more about ‘eating clean’. Weight lifting is particularly bad in this respect- maybe because it makes my appetite go crazy, or maybe because it feels like something to do for a given aesthetic than for fun. I’m aware of it and make sure I eat enough, but it is something I need to work on!
Great post. This is a topic that I feel gets brushed over quite often because people aren’t sure how to deal with it, and other’s don’t think it’s actually a real thing. Thanks for bringing this up!
Wow I’m happy I found this topic because ive did so much exercises over ten years expecially cardio and decided to take a break from it about 2 weeks ago now my legs ace
I make sure I am active in some way every day, but I agree that there’s no reason to overdo it. As soon as working out becomes a “job,” it’s not worth it in my mind. The thing is, though, so many people don’t eat well and that’s why they gain weight when they stop working out. If you maintain a healthy diet, bringing the intensity of your workouts down should not negatively effect your weight.
Great post, girl!
I am glad you addressed this mostly because I k now a ton of females in the blog world read you religiously and look up to you. You really nailed it with this. The big thing about exercising is that you shouldn’t have to exercise. I took a huge break from all forms of exercise when I was in recovery. At first it was tough but that just meant I needed the break more than I thought. I ended up taking a full six months off just because i wanted my body and mind to find exercise for what it was, an enjoyment rather than a have to. The thing with exercise is people think – oh you gain all this weight. So false. like you said the over exercising bit will actually add on weight from all the body stress. Thanks for addressing this issue head on, I think a lot of people need to read this. Even i like to go back and evaluate my ideas around exercising every once and a while.
It’s definitely a good idea to take a step back every once in a while and reevaluate things. I remember being absolutely convinced at one point that I loved what I was doing, and not realizing that definitely wasn’t the case until after I stopped.
Great post, sweetie! Love you and your views!
Glad you posted about this, as you know I’ve been struggling through some of these thoughts and steps. Unfortunately, with pilates training I can’t completely halt fitness for now…but after, you better bet I’m doing it.
I’m pretty tired already hah.
Thank you for being so honest about your story and how far you’ve come. Always appreciated! You rock.
Happy Friday loveee! Enjoy the weekend:)
This is really interesting! I started reading your blog only within the past few months, so I missed a lot of this. I am interested to go back and re-read. I have had to cut back on exercise and take away the addiction because I was relying on it too much. I love your thoughts, though, on what happened when you stopped. I have felt like I was overtraining numerous times and take rest days, and I usually know this happens when I am so tired and haven’t done anything!
thank you for sharing your story. I think it’s really important for people to realize that overtraining is really not that uncommon, especially for women. I’ve been there, done that. I’ve had the shake, light-headed feeling after a workout only to realize it was because I wasn’t fueling my body properly. We’re all different, and what works for some may not work for all. Glad that you’ve found out what works for you.
Thanks girl, this post was just what I needed to read today! I have been stressing out about not being able to run and do my normal workouts due to an injury and it’s only been a week. I have been really stressed about gaining weight and losing muscle while my workouts go from running 20+ miles weekly to zero. This helps to bring into perspective that it’s okay, and sometimes best to not exercise too hard. I hope my stress and anxiety with not being able to run goes away sooner than later, and reading this post def helped!
The rest will definitely do you good, girl! Better to let yourself heal properly than push and risk aggravating your injury even more. And when you get back at it, you’ll have even more energy than before 🙂
Thanks for sharing this, I think this is what I needed to hear. I’ve been working at making myself healthier, running a few times a week… and sometimes I look at what other people do and think, maybe I should be going to the gym as well, maybe I’m a slacker because I only run 3 times a week and other people work out almost every single day, multiple times a day. But what works for some people may not work for others.
That said, maybe I need to do what you do at take a long walk on days I don’t run. That can’t be bad for me. 🙂
Great post Amanda! I think this is a huge wake-up call to so many. I am definitely trying to listen to my body more lately, which is a great thing. For example, it’s rainy out & I’m so tired… thinking that’ll mean a rest day for this girl. My body isn’t feel’in it today.
Good for you on making changes & listening to your body. I think the main thing that matters is that people get their HR up at least 20-30 mins/day somehow (for heart health), whether it be by walking, cleaning, whatever. I’m sure your walk or just life does that for you. 😉
Enjoy your rest day, girl! And if walking doesn’t get my heart rate up, then I know dancing around my apartment like a fool whenever a good song comes on probably does 😆 Happy Friday, Karey!
This is such a great post. I’ve gone through phases over my lifetime with over-exercise, no exercise, and everything in between. and now i am all about the benefits of walking! i walk to and from work every day (a mile each way) and i think the health benefits are better than running. i really do. and I think you’re right- everybody just needs to find their own sweet spot that makes them their best selves. for some that might be daily runs, for others that might be walks, etc.
personally i like getting up early 3-4 days a week and doing bar method. more than that i feel stressed and tired, less than that i start feeling sluggish. my cardio changes on a weekly basis, but if i run too much i swear i start gaining weight.
Oh man this post couldn’t have cut at a more ideal time! I’ve recently cut back the intensity of my workouts A LOT and initially i was worried about the negative effects of doing so. Fortunately it’s going well and I’m working out according to what I feel like. I realised that I started to hate weight lifting and have instead been opting more for yoga & swimming which have done me a world of good. And on the days I don’t get a workout in, I don’t feel like I need to eat less to compensate or wake up extra early to get it done. If it happens, great otherwise there is always tomorrow!
Glad to see that this shift in your workout approach has only had a positive effect on you :)!
So true! Exercise is addicting. I’m an addict, but I know not to push myself too hard. Some days are ovaries-to-the-wall, but other days are a neighborhood walk. I’m okay with that.
It’s great that you noticed your over-training when you did. That’s serious stuff.
Happy Friday!
Ovaries to the wall 😆 That just reminds me of the good news you shared this morning. Congrats again, girl!! <3