Transcript: Am I Working Out Too Much? The Truth About 8-15 Hours Weekly (Science-Backed)
Full transcript for this episode of More Movement Please. For Donato’s structured summary, questions, quotes, and listening profile, go back to the episode page.
5 chapters — tap to expand the full text
Ashley introduces the episode topic, explaining that followers have been asking whether she's working out too much after seeing her frequent exercise posts.
What's up you guys? Famous Ashley Grant here. Welcome to More Movement Please, the podcast where I hope to inspire you to move your body more. Today I want to talk about how much is too much. So this has kind of been a question that I've been asked a lot lately is how much working out is too much because people have been seeing that I've been posting quite a few exercises throughout the week and I've been asked a few times by a few different people, are you working out too much? And so I kind of wanted to just investigate and find out, I don't know, I guess what the science is saying. And so I went to a bunch of different websites and the big thing that I kept finding is that adults need a minimum of two and a half hours or 150 minutes per week of moderate intensity aerobic activity. And that breaks down to about 30 minutes a day, five days a week. Alternatively, you can do 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity like running instead
Ashley shares what she found researching exercise guidelines: 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity per week as a minimum, with additional muscle strengthening, and 300 minutes for extra health benefits — all of which she far exceeds at 8–15 hours a week.
of brisk walking. And on top of that, everything that I was reading basically shows that you also need muscle strengthening activities two or more days a week. And they need to work all of your major muscle groups. And these sessions aren't supposed to count towards your 150 minutes of aerobic activity. So I've been working out a lot more than that. I've been working out as little as like eight hours a week and as much as like 15 hours a week. So, yeah, kind of kind of a lot more than that 30 minutes a day. But is that bad for me? So I kept researching and research shows that doubling up to 300 minutes per week, which is about five hours of moderate intensity activity, provides additional health benefits. And this is where you're supposed to start seeing like substantial improvements in your cardiovascular health, your weight management and disease prevention. So I'm even doing more than the five hours. of exercise per week. So
is that bad? And the big thing that I kept finding is that there's no universal too much, as long as you're making sure that you're getting plenty of nutrients and recovery time and all that jazz. So as far as I can feel, yeah, I'm not going to deny that I sometimes have a little bit of fatigue and that I get a little bit tired. And so I'll use smaller weights and things like that. But There's nothing that I have found that says I'm working out too much. There's no hard science.
Ashley reflects on her own experience — acknowledging fatigue and soreness but concluding there's no hard science saying she's overdoing it, and framing her high volume as a reaction to nearly two decades of a sedentary lifestyle.
I mean, athletes work out 10 to 20 hours a week and they're fine. So I guess it does come to a point where you're like, OK, well, if I do need to take a break, then I'll take a break. But as long as I'm not hurting myself, as long as I'm not feeling too fatigued. is there anything wrong with the fact that I'm working out as much as I am? I personally don't think so. It wouldn't surprise me if I continue getting DMs and questions about, am I working out too much? Maybe I am.
I'm not really sure. But right now in my current season of life, I am loving how much I'm working out. Yes, I'm hurting sometimes. Yes, I am feeling the pain sometimes. But after so many years of a sedentary lifestyle and so many years of not moving my body, I'm going to just ride this wave as long as I can stand it. And yes, there may come a point that I feel like I need to lower the amount of exercises that I'm doing in a week.
There may come a point where I feel like I am moving too much. But right now, like I said, in this season of life, I'm just going to keep riding this wave and enjoying, you know, as many exercises as I can get in. And again, I sat still for so long. I mean, we're talking. nearly two decades where I was barely active, where I was packing on the weight and not doing anything about it. And when you do that and then you have your light bulb moment where you're like, all right, it's time to make a change. Yeah, I did go a little bit extreme. I understand that. But for me, it just feels like it's the right thing to do right now. And I want to keep enjoying it. Yes, I'm going to do everything I can to make sure that I don't get injured. I'm going to do everything I can to make sure that I'm recovering properly and taking care of myself.
Ashley describes how the past six months have given her more energy than the previous six years, contrasting it with a past where she couldn't get through half a day without needing a nap and was struggling with depression and focus.
But I would rather do what I'm doing right now and continue doing it the way that I am because it's so much better than the alternative. I mean, I was just having this conversation yesterday that in the past six months, I have had more energy than I have. in at least the last six years. In the last six months, I have felt stronger and I have felt more zeal, I guess you'd say, for life, more zest for life, more enjoyment out of life. And that is so much better than what it was before. I mean, we're talking, I could not get through an entire day without taking a nap. I could not get through, hell, half a day without feeling like, oh my goodness, I can't wait till bedtime. I was struggling with... focusing on my work. I was struggling with basically any kind of movement. And when you go from that to being able to do the things that I am doing right now, I will take that every day of the week and
twice on Sundays because that is so much better than what I was experiencing before. And I think that's why I'm so passionate about sharing this stuff with you guys and sharing this podcast because I want everybody to know just how good this is. I want everybody to feel just how amazing it is. And it is so worth it. I had no idea how good it could get. And I want more of that. I want more people to experience just how amazing this feels. I just highly recommend it to anybody who is considering it. If you're feeling sluggish, if you're feeling down, if you're feeling hell, if you're feeling depressed, move your body, because that's another thing, right? I was I was getting pretty damn depressed and I feel so much better. I'm not going to sit here and tell you that over the last six months, I've completely cured my life. I haven't. There's still some stuff I'm working through. There's still a lot of stuff I'm working through, but
that's. That's all part of the human experience, isn't it? But isn't it better to do it from a place of I'm getting stronger and I'm taking better care of myself than it is to try to sludge through all the crap that life throws at you without taking care of yourself? I mean, there is definitely a reason why they say put your oxygen mask on first. You have to take care of yourself or you can't take care of anybody else.
You have to take care of yourself or you can't even take care of yourself. It just is the way it is. No one's coming to save us. No one's going to take care of everything and make it all better. We have to take care of ourselves. And so, yes, I may be overdoing it. But until I actually feel like I'm overdoing it, I'm going to keep going and I'm going to keep having as much fun as I can. I'm going to keep moving as much as I can.
Ashley explains her motivation for the podcast — wanting others to feel what she's feeling — and directly encourages anyone feeling sluggish, down, or depressed to move their body.
And I want the same for you. I want you to move your body, too. So onwards and upwards, my friends. Have you worked out today?