EXCESSIVE, INTENSE EXERCISE DOES NOT = HEALTH

The CONCEPT of ramping up exercise to improve health, needs to be checked out.
It is especially questionable when people are suffering from ADRENAL FATIGUE. A huge bunch of people rely on adrenaline as their energy source.
The adrenal glands are located just above your kidneys. If you feel uncomfortable when pushing in a small area ABOVE YOUR KIDNEYS on your lower back, (level with your belly button…or a bit higher), chances are your adrenals are a bit over worked.
People with adrenal fatigue… are constantly tired, get sick quite often, have low sex drive, suffer from allergies and for women experience regular PMS.
The list goes on…trouble getting out of bed, depression, skin problems, weak/sore muscles & regular sugar cravings.
In Chinese Medicine these symptoms are usually associated with SPLEEN and/or KIDNEY QI DEFICIENCY.
If you find yourself familiar with the above symptoms, intense, excessive exercise is NOT YOUR FRIEND.
I CRINGE when i see extreme motivational workout advertising, or a personal trainer screaming at people, pushing them way beyond their limits. The old “mind over matter” is more like “ignore your bodies important messages to stop causing damage”.
Have you ever looked at an ultra marathon runner’s chest cavity? It is sunken in. Do you think their lungs and heart are strong? EXCESSIVE ACTIVITY places a huge strain on these organs and ultimately weakens them.
But people’s beliefs die hard. Try telling a runner to give it a rest and let their ankle repair itself. They are offended that you even suggested it, as they are totally addicted!
Exercise has become an act of PUNISHMENT rather than motivation for health. The fuel for punishment is usually self-hatred, tied up with body image and the thought of NOT BEING GOOD ENOUGH.
If you are suffering from adrenal fatigue, MOVEMENT is still beneficial. But perhaps try a more GENTLE APPROACH, such as walking, yoga or tai chi. Working up to a light sweat is enough to get the heart blood pumping and liver cleansing activity.
For the more robust vigorous exercise lovers, you may just need to become more in tune with what your energy can handle at a given time. Take a PERIOD OF REST until your sex drive returns and you are waking up ready for the day without feeling hungover (when you haven’t even had a drink!).
In Chinese Medicine terms, our bodies enter this world with a certain amount of “Jing” or vital essence. Some have more, some have less. This genetic component is what it is. We do however, have some influence on how far we can stretch our reserves by the way we CHOOSE to live our life. For sure you can shorten your life by “BURNING THE CANDLE”. Obvious candle burning includes stress & over-work, but consider throwing EXCESSIVE EXERCISE in this category too.