Reuters Wire: Fitness experts warn of the pitfalls of going to exercise extremes

Posted on August 4, 2015 by Stone Hearth News

With challenging workouts from ultra-marathons to endurance events on obstacle courses all the rage, fitness experts say more and more weekend warriors are leaping into extreme activities before looking into the perils of overdoing it.

The drive to push the body too far too fast can backfire in most unpleasant ways. Recent research studies suggest extreme over-exercising can cause conditions like sleeplessness, blood poisoning, fractures or heart damage.

“Massive jumps in activity level, that’s how you get stress fractures,” said Dr. Derek Ochiai, an orthopedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine.

Overuse injuries, ranging from rotator cuff damage to tendonitis, comprise a significant part of his practice in Arlington, Virginia.



“Pain tells you you’re injuring something,” he said. “Instead of pounding a treadmill for 90 minutes through severe shin pain, (and) bench pressing with intense shoulder pain, stop. Rest it. Then go back at a lighter level.”

Elite athlete and running coach Tom Holland said he has seen an explosion in the number of extreme fitness events over the last decade.

“Many people who might never have competed in an organized event in the past are jumping right into these extreme races,” said Holland, the author of Swim, Bike, Run, Eat: The Complete Guide to Fueling Your Triathlon, who has run more than 60 marathons.



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Follow these topics: Exercise: Benefits, Exercise: Capacity, Exercise: High Intensity, Exercise: Marathons, Exercise: Prescriptions




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