By: Brad Krause

If doctors made a pill that gave all the benefits of exercise, it would be hailed as a wonder drug. And yet most Americans don’t exercise enough to see these benefits. On the other side of the spectrum, some people obsess over exercise to the extent that it’s interfering with other aspects of their life. The optimal path is somewhere between two extremes -- here’s how to walk it.

Set Health Goals, Not Appearance Goals

Studies show that our motivation to exercise is higher when we’re doing it for health reasons, as opposed to appearance reasons. Or, as the Huffington Post puts it, “exercise for you, not your body.” 

For example, if you’re recovering from substance abuse disorder, exercise can help you on your path to recovery. Physical activity can help you build confidence, self-esteem, and according to research at the University of Kansas, it can even help reduce impulsive behavior. Setting goals like this will keep you on track better than goals to look good in the mirror, because they are more closely integrated with the things that you really value.

Sleep Tight

Sleep is not only crucial to your overall physical and mental health, it is important for exercise recovery, too. If you don’t get enough sleep, you’ll be sore for longer and your fitness won’t improve as quickly as it otherwise would. It’s not just the sleep time that matters, either -- sleep quality is important, too. 

One problem here is that some people who exercise close to bedtime can have trouble sleeping that night. To find out if that's true in your case, keep a sleep journal. Each morning, write down how refreshed you feel on a 1-to-10 scale. After a few weeks, look over your scores -- are they lower after you exercised in the evening? Can you identify any other lifestyle factors that are affecting your sleep quality?

Do the Right Amount of Exercise

The American Heart Associationrecommends 30 minutes of moderate exercise, five days each week. This is a good starting point, but you need to do the right amount of exercise for your own health and fitness level. Overtraining can be harmful, and it also puts you at greater risk of injuries including sprains and pulled muscles. 

Keep an eye out for signs of over-exercising. If your muscles always seem to be sore, you might not be leaving enough rest days between workouts, or the intensity of your training might be too high. Overtraining can affect the immune system, so if you’re getting infections more often than usual, try cutting down on your gym time. Other signs include mood changes, lack of progress in your training routine, and an increase in your resting heart rate.

Find a Balance

There are other ways you can boost your physical and mental well-being beyond exercise, so don’t put all your eggs in one basket. You can also try things like mindfulness meditation, improving your diet, volunteering and learning new things. If you find that your spare time is limited, you could experiment with doing shorter, more intense workouts such as interval training. Some studies suggest that this can have as much benefit as longer, low-intensity workouts, and this will free up more time to work on other areas of your well-being. However, if you’re new to exercise, it’s best to start with a few months of low-intensity training, building up the intensity gradually, which will condition your body and get it ready for the heavy stuff. 

Finding a balance in your exercise routine will take a bit of trial and error, especially if you’re new to fitness. Pay attention to how your body feels during and after exercise. If you feel worn out, ease off a bit. If you’re feeling energized, try stepping up a bit. If you heed the messages your body is sending, you’ll get the optimal benefits from your training while staying free of injury.

Photo by skeeze