Will missing one day of exercise per week result in weight gain?
To put this question into context…
My 27 y/o girlfriend, bless her, is an exercise addict. I don’t believe that she has missed more than 5 morning gym sessions in the last two years, will often run at lunch, and frequently exercises in the evening. Weekends (whilst I get out and ride/run) she will hit then gym for a couple of hours, and then insist that we go for an hour plus walk in the afternoon (and she walks damn fast!!)
Don’t get me wrong, I am not complaining. She is damn sexy, but aside from the fact that if she turned this intensity to tri-specific training she might kick my ass (actually, if she chose to do this I would be pumped!!), I am worried about the long term effect of continued exercise on her body. She already has sore knees and lives life at such a fast pace that she does not stop to stretch or EVER schedule in a rest day.
My concern is that her body will (sooner rather than later) give in on her if she does not take care of it more, and this would impact on her mentally.
Her main concern, although I am sue she will not admit it, revolves around body image.
We have a woman at work that is the same way. But, she continues to train once or twice a day every day, even though her knees and hips often hurt so much she has tears in her eyes. For her, it is an illness, not unlike anorexia. Every minute she isn’t exercising, she’s thinking about it, and every bite of food she consumes haunts her as she swallows it. Talking to her logically doesn’t help. She can understand and agree with each and every logical point that is presented to her, but when you put it all together and say that, logically, she should take some time off for REST, she sadly shakes her head No. She just can’t do it. It’s sad. She has a degree in exercise physiology as well as Nursing. She should know better. But, nobody knows how to help her, unless she wants to help herself. If she were emaciated, it might be easier (then again, it would probably make no difference) but she’s only slightly thinner than normal.
This exercise obsession in young women is now recognized as a medical syndrome. Much like anorexia or bullemia, it involves a distorted body image. She might be advised (if she would listen) to seek counselling. Usually it involves over exercising and under nutrition due to a low caloric intake. This can lead to conditions such as osteoporosis or joint arthritis in later life.
I’m actually seeing more of this in the tri community where females (or males) become so obsessed with training that it effects relationships, work, family life, etc. I know of one woman who was really upset just because she had to miss a workout to attend her brother’s wedding.
I have seen this before too - the gym keener who works out for several hours each day, for, it seems, just the sake of working out! No races or goals in mind, just putting in the time. On one hand, my hat is off to these people for their dedication and that fact that they ARE working out. That’s all to be applauded. However, another part of me is scratching my head going, what on earth are the doing? It seesm so spiritless - all this working out in-doors. Of course this is coloured by my preference for getting OUTDOORS - regardless of the weather for a little exercise.
As for the female triathletes, it’s been my experience that some of the top women( Age-group & elite) can drive themselves extraordinarily hard. Coaching them or advising them is more about scheduling the easy days/weeks and making sure they do back off and then letting them go nuts the rest of the time!
In seems what you have described is a sometimes called excessive compulsive behavior. The value of that behavior is a double edged sword. An alchoholic is an example of compulsive behavior. An Olympic athlete is another example of compulsive behavior. The difference is obvious. One has positive and the other has negative repercusions.
Unfortunately, the concept of compulsive behavior is almost always (in the end) an unhealthy behavior… how unhealthy is dependant upon it’s effect on one’s self and on others. If the behavior causes conflict, incompatibility or ill health then the behavior becomes a problem (…poor body image is an example). At that point, physical attributes and it’s appearance appeal become a losing proposition because of it’s negative overall health repercussions. In short, being extremely physically fit does not (and frequently doesn’t) equate to a healthy lifestyle.
Some of the Docs etc on this site can probably back this up more but i believe that over training can lead to some real osteoporosis (sic?) issues with women and that can lead to some serious problems later in life (my grandmother was a runner and has really bad osteoporosis despite drinking an excessive amount of milk her whole life - she broke her ribs cutting carrots and has to life in a home now) I also believe that it can lead to some problems with the reproductive system if that is still relevant (that is sometimes the key that bring a woman around to understand the risks). Good luck getter her to train smarter.