Treat Exercise Like a Drug

Everything we put into our bodies acts like a drug. Everything. Food, water, alcohol, coffee, teas, probiotics, vitamins, supplements, herbs, spices. And exercise.

Yes, exercise is also like a drug. You know that "runner's high" you get when you've been jogging, or swimming, or dancing for about 20 minutes? Those endorphins kick in and you start to feel fine. Lifting heavy weights causes all kinds of hormonal changes in the body as well. And those changes are not limited to the length of your workout. You can continue to reap benefits (or detriments) for hours and even days after a session.

You may have heard this phrase before: the dose determines the poison.

Basically, everything you put into your body can become harmful at the right (or wrong!) dosage. Healthy foods, vitamins, minerals, supplements, and even water become toxic at a certain level. This is where balance comes into play. We need to balance the foods we eat, the vitamins or other supplements we take, and the amount of water we consume. Overdoing anything puts the whole system out of balance, which can cause harm to our bodies.

And exercise is the same. Choosing the right type of exercise and the right dosage is the key to becoming fitter and stronger.

For example, walking is a wonderful exercise. I am a huge fan of walking and I do some (usually twice/day for 45 minutes each time) every single day. (Owning a dog or two is a big help with encouraging these daily walks!) While walking has many important health benefits, unless you are walking straight up tall mountains, it is unlikely you are building strength with this exercise. So if your goal is to build muscle and become stronger, you are going to have to do more than just walking. (Unless you are obese. For people carrying a lot of excess weight, walking is the perfect exercise to get you started on a path of better habits, including building strength and weight loss.)

Another great example is lifting heavy weights. Simple lifts (like dead lifts and squats using at least your body weight or more) are very effective ways of building strength. But you need to determine the correct dosage. Struggling to lift too much weight, lifting with poor form, lifting too frequently, or lifting when tired or sick, all can put your body at risk for injury and/or overtraining. If you choose to lift heavy, you must respect your body's need for recovery.

The correct dosage of exercise, followed by the correct dosage of rest and recovery, should provide ongoing increases in fitness, including strength. If you find that instead of getting stronger, you are getting injured, sick, exhausted, angry, irritable, and weaker, you are doing too much. Cut back on your exercise prescription! Adjust your levels until you feel better.

In addition, I recommend adding some type of regenerative "exercise" to reduce stress levels. Some form of yoga, meditation, t'ai chi, qi gong, massage therapy, foam rolling, or other healing practice can help both your body and mind recover from the more vigorous exercises. Choose something you enjoy and don't think about it as another obligation. It should be more of a reward, a treat for your body and brain.