“Everything in life can kind of be summed up in one word….balance!” …So said a mentor of mine while I was growing up. It took many years for me to begin to grasp the truth of that statement and now, it would seem, it applies even to the realm of physical exercise! The expression “too much of good thing” holds dramatically true when it comes to physical exercise….particularly for men.
For many years, women were cautioned against over-training as it can readily lead to alterations in the menstrual cycle, miscarriages, general hormonal shifts and other symptoms. Diminished training nearly always remedies the issue and normalizes the individual’s body. But not so with men, who were often over-looked in this regard as it was thought the more a man can do, accomplish and push the more virile, strong and masculine you are! WRONG!
Recent research from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill demonstrates that Mae West was off the mark when she stated, “Too much of good thing is even better”! Too much of this good exercise thing leads to reductions in both interest/libido and actual engagement in relations. Anthony Hackney, the professor of exercise physiology and nutrition at UNC, related they didn’t have clear understanding as to why, though they speculated diminished testosterone levels and simple fatigue lead to the decline.
So by all means move, move, move….it’s essential to health! But remember…too much of a good thing may easily lead to less of something better!
