Yes, doing too much cardio is bad. It can burn your muscles, wear down the joints, disturb metabolism, and increase the likelihood of getting injured. Additionally, overdoing cardio can lead to an imbalance in hormones, which is harmful to health.
There are basically 12 signs of too much Cardio that we are going to explain in this article.
12 Signs You’re Doing Too Much Cardio
1. Muscle cramps
Cardiovascular exercise is great for overall health, but too much can actually lead to muscle cramps. When you work your heart out for too long, it can cause your muscles to fatigue and cramp up.
This is especially true for people who don’t typically exercise regularly.
If you’re experiencing muscle cramps after a workout, take a break and drink plenty of fluids.
Possibly it’s a sign of too much cardio!
Electrolytes can also help relieve muscle cramps, so consider drinking sports drinks or eating potassium-rich foods.
2. Sleep disorder
Too much cardio can be bad for your health in a lot of ways, but one of the lesser-known dangers is that it can lead to sleep disorders.
When you overdo cardio, your body produces more cortisol, which is a hormone that can interfere with your sleep quality. This is because cortisol helps your body to stay alert and awake.
If you’re over-exercising and struggling to get a good night’s sleep, it might be time to cut back on your workouts.
Try to stick to about three cardio sessions per week, and make sure that you’re getting enough rest in between.
You might also want to try incorporating some relaxation techniques into your nightly routine, such as yoga or meditation.
3. Discolored urination
Next in signs of too much Cardio is discolored urination. Due to excessive cardio sometimes your muscles get damaged or even break.
The substances released from these damaged or broken muscles can cause discoloration of urine.
So if you notice any kind of change of color in your urine it means that your body needs a break and if the issue prolongs you need to consult a doctor.
4. Fatigue
To be well fitted in the judgmental society people want to lose weight within no time and overdo workout activities which lead to fatigue. You feel laziness and tiredness as your body has not fully recovered from over-training.
Sometimes you can even feel sleepy after a workout, which is not normal workout fatigue.
5. Fluctuation in weight
People mostly exercise to lose weight or to build muscle. But after an excessive workout, they suffer from unintended weight loss or obesity.
The reason can be explained as your body suffers from drastic change and resulting in the instant deficiency of nutrients, your body urges you to intake excessive food, which can lead you toward obesity.
Similarly, in some cases, your body adapts towards different means for utilizing energy and you suffer from appetite loss.
You have to understand that exercise only has a 15% stake in your fitness results. The rest 85% according to Dr. Eric Berg, in a short video below, is dependent on diet, sleep, rest and recovery:
6. Disturbance in mental health
It is no secret that cardio is great for overall health and fitness. However, doing too much cardio can have some negative consequences, one of which is the disturbance of mental health.
Excessive cardio can lead to anxiety, depression, and even psychosis in some cases. This is because when the body is subjected to prolonged periods of stress, such as that which occurs during cardio exercise, it can harm the brain.
So if you are someone who enjoys doing a lot of cardio, it is important to be aware of the potential risks and take measures to mitigate them, such as by including rest days and incorporating relaxation techniques into your routine.
7. Frequent illness
Doing excessive cardio can cause frequent illness because it weakens the immune system.
When you do too much cardio, your body produces an excessive amount of cortisol. Cortisol is a hormone that is released when you’re stressed, and it suppresses the immune system.
This means that your body is less able to fight off infection and illness.
8. Heart issues
Increased heartbeat can also indicate that you are overdoing cardio and your body needs rest. It is because your muscles are adapting to the harsh exercises and they forget to retain their resting process.
See the 5 Important Exercises for Heart Health in the video below:
9. Osteo (bone) diseases
Overdoing cardio not just affects your body muscles but also your bones. Your bones become stiff or sometimes the loss of minerals can also lead to weakness of bones and can cause severe injuries.
After getting an injury or strain if you are overdoing your exercises it can lead to severe bone diseases.
10. Energy drain
The food you eat is utilized for providing energy to your body. But if you work more and utilize more energy than your body won’t be able to keep up.
It can only provide a finite amount of energy to work with. But if you are overdoing cardio you will feel lazy and tired and you won’t have the energy to do other activities.
If exercise is making you tired and not energized, check out this article for guidance.
11. Hormonal disturbance
Overdoing cardio can lead to hormonal imbalance causing a lot of issues in your body. Like your sleep will get disturbed as well as your eating habits.
You can also suffer from blood pressure issues and the list goes on.
12. Dehydration
Last in signs of too much Cardio is dehydration. Water is essential for the normal functioning of a body. In fact, drinking water has many health benefits that have no alternative.
If you are overworking, more energy is drained from your body as well as water. And your body becomes dehydrated leading to muscle cramps and stiffness, dryness, and quenching thirst.
Some important FAQ’s related to Cardio Workout:
1. Is Cardio Everyday Bad?
Doing Cardio exercises everyday is not bad. It’s only the excessive cardio that is bad for your health. Other than that, doing Cardio everyday is totally safe. It will help you get in shape, lose weight, and feel better overall.
Cardio is one of the best exercises you can do for your body. It helps to improve your heart health, burn calories, and increase your endurance.
Check out the benefits of cardio exercising here.
2. How much Cardio is too much?
There is no definitive answer to this question. The amount of cardio that is too much for one person may be just the right amount for another. It all depends on your individual fitness level and how your body responds to exercise.
That being said, it is generally recommended that you do no more than an hour of cardio per day. Beyond that, you run the risk of over-training and injuring yourself.
Additionally, excessive cardio can actually have a negative effect on your body composition, causing you to lose muscle mass instead of fat.
Conclusion:
That’s all in signs of too much cardio and why is it bad? Basically, too much of anything is not good for your health.
Keep a fine balance in your workouts and before leaving do check out a 4 minutes video of why too much of any Exercise is not good for your body and health: