Cult or Practice...?

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Exercise in all its forms can be a wonderful liberating, health-giving, beneficial practice.
It improves the condition of the heart, of the blood vessels, of the muscles, and the functions of all the organs, especially the brain and the nervous system.

All these wonderful things take place when we practice exercising.

However, exercise can become an obsession. When that happens it can be dangerous. 

Exercise is good when it allows repair, recovery and regrowth to take place. When exercise becomes an obsession, it gets done to excess and causes physical and mental fatigue, lowers resistance to illness and generates a state of mind that adversely affects every aspect of life.

So, when is it too much?

That depends on the individual . That’s when we have to use common sense and close judgement. We are all different in our capacities.  

Build, shape, height, age, and prevailing circumstances in our lives, all contribute to our energy levels or lack of them. If we have very busy lives, social pressures, family pressures, financial strain, personal anxiety, our abilities will be impaired.

We need to be able to gauge our capabilities. Many people wonder why they can run like hares one day, or stumble over the ground the next. Illness apart, much has to do with our state, not just physically, but mentally and emotionally.

Exercise done regularly, taking these factors into account, will benefit the exerciser as she will then gauge performance to the level of moderate discomfort.

Mercilessly inflicting self- inflicted strain to the point of pain and beyond is one sure route to fatigue, disinterest and physical debilitation. 

That’s when the quality of sense comes into play. Use your savvy. When you’re working very hard, physically tired, mentally drained, a light exercise may be helpful. A heavy one, especially before a week's work or an event for which you need to be prepared, can have the effect of increasing physical and mental exhaustion.

It’s one of the most common pitfalls for enthusiastic people; over-training.

There are times when we have to recognise that we are merely human and what we need is rest.

Rest is probably one of the most overlooked factors in any wellness program. Learning how to stop is key to making the most of what exercise we do. We need to remind ourselves that our fitness and growth take place between the exercise sessions, when our bodies are repairing themselves, recovering.

Think about this factor and let it guide you to more productive, more energetic, and selective expression of your magnificent well of energy.

Like your money, respect your energy budget and prevent wastage.