Are you exercising too much?

The mere thought of overexercising might seem like a ludicrous concept given that two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese. But even though the benefits of exercise may be too many to list, you can overdo it when it comes to exercise.

If you listen to your body and understand the difference between good exercise and bad exercise, you can reap the benefits of good health while avoiding overuse injuries and exhaustion that come from overexercising.

There really is no time or amount that constitutes overexercising, said Dr. Thomas Martin, an exercise physiologist and professor at Wittenburg University

“It’s hard in terms of time because everyone is different,” Martin said. “It really depends on your personal body type, frame and what kind of work you’re doing. You also have to take into consideration your physiological system, experience and where you are physically at this point and time. Once you put them all together, you can go about (setting limits) from there.”

If you’ve never heard of overexercising, you probably aren’t alone. It does exist, though. And it is a problem for many Americans who are struggling with their weight. The technical term for too much time at the gym or on the treadmill is called compulsive exercise disorder. Overexercising is more than a walk in the park that lasts too long — going too hard for too long can have serious consequences. Heart problems, dehydration, joint pain, stress fractures, osteoporosis and reproductive difficulties can all arise as a result of compulsive exercising disorder.

JJ Virgin, Ph.D., said she sees it far too often.

Virgin is a renowned nutritionist who has helped some of Hollywood’s biggest stars shed pounds for blockbuster roles. But she said even in extreme situations, there are limits when it comes to how much exercise a person’s body can handle.

“Exercise is just like a diet,” Virgin said. “It can be therapeutic or destructive.”

Doing hours of cardio daily every day won’t make up for a lifetime of potato chips, beer and pizza, Virgin said. Logging insane amounts of cardio exercise is what Virgin calls overexercising. It’s only going to make things worse, she said, and it may not even result in the right kind of weight loss.

“People who do tons of cardio think they’re burning fat, but they’re actually burning lean tissue,” Virgin said.

So how do you separate overexercising from regular exercising? Martin said the most important way to avoid overexercising is to sometimes slow down and listen to your body.

“If it gets to the point where a person starts to get dizzy, they better slow down,” Martin said. “If a person starts to have a knee go stiff, then sore, they better slow down or stop. Maybe they’re pushing too hard in terms of intensity or maybe they’re going just one mile too far. You have to listen to your body.”

The best way to spot overexercising is if a person no longer enjoys exercise at all. Granted, not everyone enjoys busting their buns in the gym. But when it gets to a point where a person exhibits similar addictive habits like a drug addict, then compulsive exercise disorder has set in. If you still enjoy exercise, or are training for an event that is physically demanding, then you simply have to understand your body’s cues and know when to shut down.

Overexercising isn’t confined to people who have weight management problems — it’s an issue that often arises during the beginning of the year. To try and meet their resolutions, some people may go from never exercising to going to the gym every day.

That’s not a good idea, Martin said. Making a change in moderation will keep you from getting injured.

“You have a potential problem on two levels,” Martin said. “If you’re starting exercising and a person is not very active, there are some cautions you need to take. Or, a highly motivated person might overdo it.”

Martin said there are very few instances when you should push it beyond what is comfortable. The lone exception, he said, is athletes looking to increase their personal bests.

Aside from that, any nonprofessional shouldn’t push it. Martin said you should only exert about 60 to 80 percent of your maximum range. In other words, when it feels like you’re almost going as hard as you can, stop there. Don’t see if you can push it further.

But there’s still room for improvement. As your general fitness changes, so will your output. So you can still run faster, lift more or go longer without pushing the threshold.

“As ability increases, then the intensity volume increases if you want to see further improvement,” Martin said.

Aside from taking your exercise program one step at a time, you have to be aware of your environment. Training primarily indoors won’t prepare you for a long outdoor workout.

“Maybe a person could carry out a certain exercise routine or regimen at a certain time and pace, then they try and do it in 50 degree warmer weather. That makes it a different ballgame,” Martin said. “(Weather) creates different stresses on your body.”