Thread by @Mangan150

Too much exercise?

Most people don't exercise, and know they should

But within the group of folks who exercise

Many are going past the point of diminishing returns

Thread: How to nail your exercise dosage

To understand what the optimal dosage is for working professionals

We need to break down:
- What exercise is
- Why too much exercise can be a problem
- What is the most efficient form of exercise

What is exercise?

Exercise is a form of hormesis, meaning it's a form of applied stress to a biological system

This means exercise is uncomfortable by design

And "sedentary-busting" things like walking aren't exercise for most people

Why is too much exercise can be a problem

Common sense says that the more you exercise, the healthier you are

But since exercise is hormesis, it exists on a continuum

Too little is bad, and too much is also bad...

Because your body needs rest and recovery as well as stress

If you exercise a lot, and often feel tired, or develop colds often

Those are clues that you're past optimal dosage

I can tell you from experience this is common in runners

That's part of why I switched to what I consider to be the best, and most efficient form of exercise

What type of exercise is the most efficient?

In my view the purpose of exercise is threefold:

1) Better health
2) Greater cardiovascular fitness
3) Preventing muscle loss (and, ideally, building muscle)

So while cardio is better than no exercise...

It's nowhere near as effective or efficient as resistance training

The problem with cardio is that, to improve your health in any meaningful way

You need to do a LOT of it, and at relatively high intensity

Plus, cardio doesn't prevent muscle loss, let alone, build muscle

Sadly, the importance of muscle is under appreciated in most health circles

Mind you, I'm not suggesting you become a body builder

But you must understand that, unless you apply deliberate stimuli to your muscle mass

You lose it as you age, from around age 30

This is critically important because body composition

Meaning, the relative degree to which you are lean and muscular...

Highly correlates with health outcomes, both good and bad

Unlike cardio, resistance training checks all the boxes when it comes to health

1) Protects and build muscle

2) Done correctly, it improves cardiovascular health

3) You can get maximum benefits in minutes per week, not hours

4) It's a KEY ingredient in weight loss

The best part about resistance training, other than the fact that you can get all the health benefits in as little as 40 minutes a week...

Is that it's flexible
-You can use a gym
-You can use basic equipment from home
-You can get a good workout without ANY equipment

If you're trying to lose weight, and you're telling yourself that you don't have time now

Hope this gives you clarity that you do NOT need more than minutes a week to get the optimal exercise dosage

And you don't need to do long, boring cardio on the treadmill or the elliptical