Health messaging all over the Internet and in the offices of healthcare professionals is often, in unison, recommending that we should be exercising more – more often and with greater intensity. We are told we should be exercising more to lose weight, prevent diabetes and heart disease, and on and on. This leads many of us to think that the more exercise we do, the better. However, is exercise always healthy? And, when it comes to exercise, can there be too much of a good thing?
I think there are two main angles to look at to discern whether or not the exercise you are engaging in is healthy. On the one hand, there is a point at which the exercise you are engaging in is physically unhealthy. On the other hand, there is a point at which the exercise you are engaging in can be mentally and emotionally unhealthy. I will illustrate this with a few examples.
