Dealing With The Not So Well Known Side Effects Of Exercise
Exercise is a crucial part of a healthy life, we all know that. But it’s not always guaranteed to be a net positive. Sometimes the side effects of exercise can be a pain in the *ss.
Beyond the expected soreness and immediate exhaustion, there are side effects of exercise that can not only make life a little harder, but make it a lot more difficult to keep exercising, too.
Side Effects Of Exercise
Here are some of the lesser known side effects of exercise and what you can do about them:
1. Low Energy
Naturally, you’re going to be tired after working out. However, failing to take care of your energy levels properly can keep you feeling lethargic most of the time besides, too.
A big part of that is knowing when to eat. If you’re feeling hungry before exercise, then working out is only going to exacerbate the issue, so get some calories in you.
Regardless of whether you ate before, you should always eat after working out, as well. Your body needs carbs to rebuild, not just protein.
2. Sleep Disturbances
Post-workout insomnia is, unfortunately, far from a rare issue.
Sleep, in general, improves with an active lifestyle, but trouble is common with those who have just started. Working out earlier in the day might help.
If you can’t free up the time of the day, however, then try exercises that have lower impact, and cool yourself down so your body doesn’t start in high-gear for the rest of the night.
3. Bloating
It might not be as serious as insomnia, but bloating after exercise is far from pleasant. Besides knocking your confidence with a bloated belly, it feels unpleasant and painful for the rest of the day.
The best detox tea won’t only help you flush out all the toxins in your system, it can also tackle that issue so you don’t spend the rest of the day feeling like you’re twice your size.
If you have other gut issues like IBS, it’s worth noting that hard exercise can exacerbate these issues, too.
4. Injury
It’s not supposed to be a common side effect of exercise, but it is. If you’re injured, not only are you in serious pain, but you could risk undoing all your hard work by making it necessary to put a halt to most exercise.
Prevention is better than the cure, and warming up, warming down, and stretching should all be parts of your exercise routines.
But if you do find yourself injured, don’t make the mistake of giving yourself too much bed rest. Take it easy with low-impact exercises like walking and stretching. Too much bed rest has been proven to slow down recovery.
5. Diminished Results
It’s not so much a health side effect of exercise, as a motivational one. But once you stop seeing improvements from a certain exercise, it’s time to switch it up. You will see lower strength gains if you only keep doing the same exercises.
Beyond the amount of weight, the miles run, and the intensity, switch up between different exercises and muscle groups. Your muscles get used to working the more you do the same thing, so the same strains and stresses don’t cause them to benefit as much.
Most of the side effects of exercise can be well managed or avoided entirely. The tips above should keep you in good condition and on track to getting the body you deserve after all your efforts without too much hassle.
