Transcript: Am I Working Out Too Much? The Truth About 8-15 Hours Weekly (Science-Backed)
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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
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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,
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.
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.
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?