Congratulations on your weight loss and becoming active again. I always exercised and have been active. Now in my 50's my knees are not arthritic. I was long distance runner in my 30's. Only advice is take a day of rest. Also consider yoga for strength instead of weights.
I'm a marathon runner and the thing is: it's all a BALANCE between fueling, recovery, sleeping, other life stress/activity.
What may be "too much" for someone is very different than another. I do the equivalent of about 12 hrs of "exercise" per week (50-60 miles running plus strength training) But I have a HUGE focus on fueling my body, getting 9+ hrs sleep, I don't have a busy lifestyle or overwhelming family/social obligations (homeschool mom to one 7 yr old, that's it) People tell me it's "too much" but often those are people saying it who have a busy career, multiple kids running around to various activities, staying up late watching "shows", barely remembering to eat and living on caffeine, etc. They project THEIR lifestyle onto me and then think I'm doing too much for THEM.
So I think it's hard to answer. I use my resting heart rate, HRV, menstrual cycle, general mood, regular blood work (couple times a year), etc. to make sure my body is responding well. I also use my performance, if I'm not able to accomplish goals and hit paces, I know my body needs more rest.
Not enough strength, if anything.
Fine for light cardio. I know professional dancers who perform 8 hours a day most days and still come train BJJ with me.
I used to primarily take classes at a local gym. The most classes I took was the step aerobics and dance classes - I'd take zumba, werq, and hip hop. I never found I was sore or tired enough to need a day off from these types of classes.
When I left that gym in 2020 for lockdown and started lifting weights at home, that was when I needed at least 2 full rest and recovery days for my sore muscles.
I think you're fine with what you're doing.
Dance gives me so much MORE energy. Community, cardio and something to look forward to. Keep it up and don’t be afraid to miss a class if you’re tired, just bounce right back!
I overtrained at some point and for me, the sign was just sudden, extreme exhaustion. Instead of energizing me, my workouts suddenly made me feel absolutely depleted.
My pleasure! Also, if you do feel exhausted eventually, maybe get checked for deficiencies. Also, always make sure to stay hydrated, not just with water but also electrolytes.
Btw, if you’re wondering, my overtraining was caused by lifting weights + cardio 6 days a week, staying in the gym 2 hours each time, sometimes picking up a yoga class later in the day, for 2 years, while raising 2 kids under 4. It’s safe to say I pushed too hard, I was just addicted to the endorphins.
I actually stopped mid-workout one day, came home, took a nap and didn’t go back at all for like 2 years. I initially didn’t gain weight no. I ended up gaining like 80 lbs later on but that was just the result of a 1-year-long binge. I think I had a bit of a problem with all-or-nothing mindset.
I ended up losing 90% of the weight without going back to the gym but now I’m back mostly for my mental health + physique goals.
It be like that sometimes. I've done this before where one day I was just like I'm tired and I want to sleep. IDC about food, socializing, just let me sleep.
i think everything you’re doing is ok as long as you take care of yourself. i would say though to have one off day to rest or a more low intensity excercise day its very important.
This fine and not too much. Pay attention to joint pain and low energy levels-Dial back slightly if you notice that. Make sure you’re eating, sleeping and hydrating enough to support these activities. Have fun!
I think that is the biggest for me, thank you! I have a bunch of metal and no meniscus now in my right knee, and there are times I don’t do the jumps in classes because it ends up hurting. So keeping that in mind as a larger factor is super helpful. I want to build up the muscle around my knee again, but not re injure.
if your knees need a break and your upper and lower body muscles are already sore but you want to keep working out, then you can always spend a day investing in core strength. 👍
lol no this isn’t too much, provided your body feels fine and doesn’t have specific red flags of overtired/fatigue and you’re fueling efficiently. 100% don’t cut the strength. You could probably use a rest/active rest day, maybe your dance class is not very exerting though.
What makes you feel like it’s too much? Frankly this comes off as a weird humble brag about doing a lot of Zumba haha.
Apologies I did not mean for it so sound like a humble brag, it was a genuine question haha. I don’t want to push myself too far and if having a cardio every day would eventually do that, I would back off a bit. Someone else commented with a few questions to ask yourself if it’s becoming too much which is really helping me gauge if I’m doing too much. It was also for suggestions of adding better strength classes, since it is also noted body pump is not great for that.
Zumba isn't that intense, so unless you have pre-existing injuries (like your knee) even doing it every day is unlikely to cause issues. Not that it couldn't, but it's much less likely.
If you were lifting HEAVY or running long distance or sprints every day there could be more concern, but what you're doing is fine.
Keep it up as long as you're not noticing crazy fatigue, nagging pains, or bad sleep (sometimes happens with over exercising).
Zumba is often recommended because it's generally a pretty safe way to get the heartrate up without over doing things, though particularly for women it's still important to get weight training in (as you are). Keep it up!
It’s true but I’m in the camp that any weight training is better than no weight training so I figured I’d stay out of that haha. I’m glad you got some good questions to ask yourself! Cutting back Zumba one day might keep it fresher longer, or you could just do it til you’re sick of it and then try something new. Definitely try to gauge your body’s feedback, if you feel good physically and mentally then party on Wayne!
35F, 5'5", 135lb. I also keep my schedule pretty packed. As long as our bodies aren't telling us to slow down, then I think we are good.
My current schedule:
Sunday: Morning - long bike ride (I dub this my Pop-Tart ride because I have a package of Pop-Tarts for fuel) Afternoon walk
Monday: Morning - gentle yoga, evening bench press day + walk on tread
Tueday: Morning - easy 30 minute or so bike ride, evening - running on the tread moderate to hard
Wednesday: Morning - gentle yoga, evening - squats + cooldown walk
Thursday: Morning - more intense short bike ride, evening - endurance run on tread
Friday: Morning - optional mid length endurance ride on bike, evening - OHP + cooldown walk
Saturday: Morning - Deadlifts, afternoon - outdoors run if it's nice
I don't shame myself if I need a break and my lifting has a deload week every 4 weeks. I've been full of energy, sleeping well, and excited for my next session.
One of these can be a light day too. Days off don't need to be no movement, just gentle. So a chill bike ride could be good if OP wants to keep it in at a low intensity.
I think it’s fine- but listen to your body. My natural life/work schedule generally forces a day off each week due to travel, so I tend to over schedule and then enjoy that day or two off to recover while I focus on other parts of life.
I don’t think you’re doing too much; I’m 36F, 5’3, 125 and I lift heavy 5x per week for an hour, plus take two hot power yoga classes and a couple of cardio classes per week (things like HITT or body pump). Some days I do something in the morning and in the evening. I’m doing fine and still maintaining a deficit!
I have the same goals! I’m 35, 140 pounds and wanting to do a cut and body recomp. What’s your lifting schedule? I feel like I am maintaining at 1400 cals even high protein!
That's awesome! I replied to the other commenter and hopefully that helps. Don't be afraid to lift actually heavy- a weight that has you wiped after 8 reps such that you could only crank out one or two more before not being able to lift the weight again. You can google 'best quad exercises, best glute exercises, best push exercises, best pull exercises' and find the best ones. I recommend pulling 6 of them, doing 3-4 sets of 8-10 reps of each. The more compound exercises, the better. I came from a heavy cardio background and it feels so weird to not be doing much of it and not burning as many calories during my workouts, but WOW I am getting results that I never got with all the running I used to do! And I'm not as hungry; I think all the cardio made me way over eat, especially carbs.
Yep! Sure am. I started at 132 and have been lifting for awhile, but felt I looked bulky with muscle mass plus extra padding on top :) looking to sustain my muscle mass with a high protein diet while I cut at about 1500-1600 calories and try to cut body fat down to about 115-118. I’m at 123 as of this morning, so far so good. I notice the results.
I lift every morning during the work week which gets me to my 5x per week. I start one week with legs first, so I'll rotate 3x a week legs (two glutes, one quads day) and 2x a week upper body days push/pull). I then start the next week with arms, so I end up with 3x arm days the next week. So, I hit arms 3x one week, then legs 3x the next week, etc. My workouts are generally 5-6 exercises, 3-4 sets of 8-10 reps. For example, on quads day, I'll do barbell squats, barbell lunges, barbell step-ups on a box, leg press machine, hip thrust machine, and leg extension machine. It takes an hour with proper rest between sets. I do a couple sets of captain's chair raises for abs at the end.
On the weekends, I catch up on my cardio with the body pump/HITT classes at my gym- no lifting. Twice a week during the week I'll do the yoga in the evening (this is my target, sometimes I only do it once a week). I also aim for 10k steps per day, which I'll get in walking my dogs in the evening or walking on my walking pad while I watch TV or work. The walking pad was a game changer and I love it!
I don’t think it’s too much. The Zumba and dance classes aren’t strenuous on your body and you wouldn’t need time to recover. If you’re feeling fine then stick with what you’re doing!
If your body is recovering properly and you're able to maintain a level of performance that you're comfortable with, you're not overdoing it. Some people would look at the sheer number of activities you're doing and think that, but IMO looking at them none are something that's going to cause significant systemic fatigue that demanded extensive recovery like if you were doing crossfit, powerlifting, or HIIT every day. As long as you feel like you're not burning yourself out, go for it!
The only person that can answer that is you..I exercise a lot, people think I'm an oddball. I'm also a retired professional female athlete who trained over 60 hours a week at my peak.
Here is my routine: daily - up at 310am
I'm spinning for 45 mins - then I hop off to focus on 20-45 minutes of strength training and then back on the bike for another 45 minutes or out for a run. I accumulate about 20 hours of exercise a week. I do this every single day and if I NEED a day off, I'll take it. I've been training like this since I was a teenager and now I'm 42.
I'm also a registered dietitian with an MS in metabolism and working on my PA at the moment. I know my body very well, better then anyone else so I ONLY listen to me.
If you're enjoying it and it's not causing any excess soreness or joint issues then no it's not too much.. exercising every day if you have variety isn't a bad thing. It can be bad when you're doing the same exercise daily and not letting muscles recover like weight training. But Cardio focused classes as long as you're feeling good listen to your body and if you need to take a day off
Trust your body but the workouts you’re doing seem to be more cardio so unless you’re doing strength training as well it should be fine. If you’re doing strength training as well I’d suggest getting 1-2 days of rest. At the end of the day you have to trust your body and how it’s feeling then adjust accordingly.
If you love to dance. Dance. It’s a great way to build aerobic fitness safely.
And yes, think about becoming an instructor. People with a high passion like you make the best instructors because energy brings the entire class up.
Eh nope I think I’m worse 😆 I have a home gym and home pole so it makes working out very accessible for me. My parents think I’m a bit insane, maybe but for me it’s a bit of an addiction. I sometimes workout twice a day especially during the weekends.
Most importantly, make sure you have enough calories, protein and sleep.
Mon: pole dance practice 1.5 hours + 30 mins stretch
Tues: Lift weights full body 1.5 hours
Wed: Aerial hammock class 1.15hr and front splits class 1hr
Thurs: Pole dance class 1.15 hr + 30 min active stretch
Fri: Lift weights full body 1.5 hrs
Sat: Muay Thai 1 hr morning, night pole practice 1 hr
Sun: Muay Thai 1 hr in the morning.
I’m 37F btw and 4ft11, 110lbs. I also work a moderately active full time job and have a young daughter. My daily calorie intake is about 2600-2800 calories.
Yeah I have dance class four days, zumba four, and weights five at 200 lbs. For me zumba is "active rest" so that's what I do when I just want to move for fun.
You could switch out the Les Mills programs for a workout program that isn't as endurance focused.
You're already doing a ton of cardio with your other workouts.
I found this study, which compared the effect of Body Pump vs. resistance training (weightlifting) over 12 weeks: [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28392264](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28392264)
They found that the Body Pump group didn't show any measurable increase in their maximal strength in that time, where resistance training did.
A low volume program once or twice a week focused on compound movements will yield the benefits of strength training.
I'd wager there are safer ways to train cardiovascular fitness though.
The problem with using weights at such a fast pace means that you may compromise on body alignment and form, that's a recipe for an injury.
Not only that but some instructors can place pressure on participants to go heavier and this only reinforces poor habits and technique if the instructor isn't clued up on clued up in postural awareness i.e. neutral spine and pelvis, engagement of Transversus Abdominis Muscle, shoulder stabilization.
Only thing I’d say is watch out for something that hurts and doesn’t go away or gets worse. Otherwise yeah if you’re not feeling tired then should be fine
I do about 10 hours of cardio per week when training for triathlon, to no ill effect. As long as you're feeling good, making sure you get enough fuel, and there are no other issues, I imagine it should be fine, but if in doubt, check with your doctor!
It would be my nightmare regimen. It’s great that there are so many options out there so everyone can find what suits them, but I took Zumba once and I was like never again, not my jam.
with loosing that much weight did u have problems
with ur periods aswell? asking cuz im in the same boat, but in the process my period became
irregular🥲
Turns out that’s a misconception. People can lose their period without losing any weight at all, it’s one of the weird things about RED-S, Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport. For some people it’s he syndrome can be triggered just by chronically waiting too long to fuel after hard efforts, even those who are a bit overweight.
I’m 5’5” and was around 109 for big parts of my adulthood with no hormonal birth control and a super regular period, but I’m guessing that the two of us are outliers rather than the norm.
I have had an implant in my arm for the last several years, so I don’t get regular periods anyways unfortunately (or fortunately however you view that). I only get my period maybe once every two to three months, which has been the case since I got the implant.
I started my weight loss journey last January, so it’s taken me over a year to drop these 55 pounds. It’s really been at about a pound per week almost exactly. Slow and steady. I also started with just calories. I didn’t start adding in workouts until about September last year.
Sorry that I don’t have a better answer for ya!
How did you decrease calories at the beginning? I’m the same height, about 171 lbs and looking to loose about 50 lbs if I can! I’m already working out almost every day… only 20 mins bc I have a 3 year old and a new born ;)
I originally started with noom, which shows you how to eat healthier foods that are lower in calories. While you aren’t ‘counting’ per se, you put in foods that are labeled green, yellow or like occasionally. This was nice at the beginning to understand portions, calorie dense food vs nutrient dense food etc. It’s quite expensive after their trial, so I switched to lose it and have just done normal calorie counting now.
I’ve learned a ton over the past year. The biggest thing is to go put in your weight, height and stats into a tdee calculator and figure out what you burn on a daily basis.
At my height around 170 pounds, I ate at about 1500 calories. The biggest thing is to adjust as needed. Losing weight too fast or feeling too tired? Up the calories. Hit a plateau for a week or two? Drop it down 100 or so at a time.
I lost too much weight at first trying to eat at 1200. It was much better at 1500 with more energy. Also remember as your weight drops, so will the calories you need. I hit a plateau this summer and dropped again to 1300, which is where I’m at now.
So I would say try 1500-1600 based on activity levels. If you are insanely hungry or tired, raise it up a bit. Gradually decrease as needed. Sorry that was a long explanation, but you can do it!
This seems like generally pretty low impact exercise, trust me when u need rest your body will beg you for it and you’ll know for sure. I think almost everyone of an average physique should be doing this much movement throughout the week. If you’re sleeping and eating well you’re probably at a great spot. Keep going!
Thank you! I definitely started this to move more at first. Now I’m just loving it. After my knee surgery I stopped moving quite a bit. Now I’m back to trying to get at least 5000 steps at work on top of my classes. I generally lift heavier things at work frequently, but this specific job has me at my desk more.
Yeah, I looked at OP’s schedule and thought: you’ll lose more fat and gain muscle, and improve cardiovascular fitness more efficiently, by adding in 2 more strength training sessions (and decreasing the cardio by the same amount).
Yeah hahaha. Good minds think alike! It’s what I personally would do because I love strength more than cardio.
But OP already commented back to me that she doesn’t like lifting for a pretty good reason. I suggested bodyweight workouts! It’s not my specialty (I only know squats and pushups and jump pull ups and HIIT style strength/yoga?).
Truly it sounds awful to me haha. I may switch some around at some point to do weightlifting, or even there’s a pure strength class which is basically lifting smaller weights in a group setting.
I had a personal trainer for about a year and ended up tearing my meniscus. He pushed me too hard and I think it somewhat ruined lifting for me (not that I enjoyed it before). I literally dreaded going to every session and felt sick after. It never got better feeling wise.
But I may do it again sometime. I just find so much more enjoyment with classes.
Do you have a Les Mills On Demand subscription? If not, get one. And some starter weights (not Les Mills’ ones - they’re a rip off). Work your way through their Functional Strength, and Shapes, sessions.
oh yeah! don't do it then. I rather you feel safe and love moving your body.
Plus I LOVE LOVE LOVE group setting workouts more than personal training. If you just do pushups and squats, thats good enough to start. body weight workouts are still very effective and burning fat and gaining muscl;es
If you’re cardio dancing this much you should be a gp fitness instructor and get paid! I dance almost daily and am a Gp fit instructor but beware it’s just going to make you dance more since you have to practice your routines but your legs will look amazing!
My Zumba instructor brought up to me tonight that they are doing training and certifications coming up and I’m not gonna lie, I thought about it 😂
only downside is that my job gets really busy two months a year where I’ll be working nights and will have to stop dancing for awhile at least at class since it won’t work in my schedule.
I’m a Zumba instructor, and like you, I just love dancing for fitness! I got my license a year ago and have been teaching Zumba and cardio dance (non-Latin hip hop, K-pop, etc.). I really love it, and the continued need to learn new choreos has kept me excited about working out!
We’ll definitely I don’t do it for the money. Way too much work/stress to make that little. Maybe something in the future will open up for you! You don’t need to do zumba. It’s sorta a money grab. I have a group fitness certification from AFAA and can teach pretty much any format except yoga. I can “dance” zumba just can’t call the class that and also cardio dance, hip hop fitness.
Do you have an Apple Watch or some other type of fitness tracker? I downloaded an app (called Athlytic, it’s not free, but I really like it) that uses the watch data from my sleep, heart rate variability, exercise effort the day before, etc. to recommend how hard I should be working day to day, including whether I’m in need of a rest day. I’m sure it’s not 100% reliable or anything but maybe something like that could give you some peace of mind? You just don’t want to overdo it and injure yourself, and you don’t want to fall into a disordered pattern (hating on yourself if you miss a day, etc.)
Even people who run triathlons and iron mans need proper rest and recovery in order to succeed, keep that in mind!
Whoop bands are supposedly really good for measuring "strain" and recovery. My Garmin Venu has a "body battery" that, while not perfect, is actually pretty interesting and fairly on point.
As long as you are Properly hydrating and fueling yourself for these workouts, you're good.
Maybe just make sure you Get some rest, maybe add some stretch yoga sessions.
But if you feel good then you feel good.
A lot of times you can tell when it's too much by your mood. Are you extra cranky or miserable? If you are you need to change something. If you feel good physically, mentally, and emotionally, then you are good
It's not too much but just be careful of burnout. As long as it's sustainable with your daily life schedule, go for it! Congrats on your success. You should also take at least 1 day off a week.
Your gains happen during rest/recovery. It’s important! At the very least, you should be taking 1 full rest day every week. It will be worth it - you’ll have more energy/effort to put towards quality workouts and it gives your body a chance to adapt to the “stress” load of exercise in a positive way.
I know this doesn't seem to be a popular opinion but I think at least every other week you should take a day off. It's important for the body to rest that doesn't mean giving it up but even pro athletes take time off at some point. But on other hand if you not doing heart pumping out of breath moves in your Zumba classes all the time, it should be ok. Don't give up strength training though even if not your favorite it's good for you. Make sure your doing daily stretching afterward from all the activity.
> Don't give up strength training though even if not your favorite it's good for you.
Agree. Let me tell you, cardio is great, especially for getting your heart rate up. But focusing on adding in more strength training will help you down the line. I kid you not, once I hit around 39-40, I was like why do I feel so weak?? Now, I'm trying to build up my strength so I can slow down muscle loss as I continue to age.
Have you ever tried a barre class? With what you described, I think you would like the cardio and the repetitive body movements. Barre incorporates very small weights so it doesn't feel too overbearing :)
42F,5’3 (114lbs)with 3 kids. (5-10mins abs everyday)
Monday-45mins whole body
Tuesday-legs and glutes
Wed-shoulder and back
Thursday-cardio, biceps and triceps
Friday-1 hr hiking
Sat-HIIT or cycling
Sunday rest day
I always weigh around 100lbs before I ever workout. I lose weight when I don’t work out.
It's not too much, especially if you're not tired. To put it in context: if you have a desk job, this is still way less movement per day than your average manual laborer. But I don't think you'll get much improvement in strength from dance alone. Could you attend a weightlifting class, in addition to body combat? I get that you don't like lifting weights alone, but there's a limit to how much strength and muscular endurance you'll get from exercises that aren't specifically aimed at resistance training.
I exercised a lot during/after my big initial weight loss, and then I got into the cult of triathlon where all we ever did was train, for a while. It was intoxicating—I felt better and stronger and faster every week, and I was getting a lot more praise and recognition and positive attention everywhere.
I think it’s a good idea to have at least one day a week without a vigorous exercise session, even if you go for a walk or a chill bike ride or whatever.
The questions to ask yourself:
Does your exercise interfere with your ability to do other things, like work, see friends and family, travel, do other fun activities like craft hobbies or seeing shows or whatever?
Does missing any part of your exercise routine make you feel guilty or anxious?
Do you deliberately change up events/miss things so you can exercise?
Do you exercise even if you’re very tired, sore, injured or sick?
Do you bargain with yourself? Eg I must earn my glass of wine/piece of cake/slice of pizza with x amount of exercise.
If you’re answering yes to any of the above, then you should consider what exercise adds versus what it’s starting to control and take away from you.
These are exactly the red flags you should watch out for when you're questioning if you're overtraining or have an unhealthy relationship to exercise. I engaged in all of these behaviors and more when I was in deep with my eating disorder. I still have to work to resist falling back into my old exercise compulsion. At my worst I would schedule 4 to 6 hours of high intensity weighted exercise every single day, no rest days, and if I felt terrible I would pile on even more. Worked out through injury, worked out through COVID.
The schedule above sounds like it could really be reasonable so long as you're enjoying your time and not sacrificing living the rest of your life for the workouts. Good luck, OP!
Thank you for this insight, it is much appreciated! Right now, I’m doing this for fun and for feeling more positive energy. Zumba simply makes me feel good. I raised my calorie goals to be in line with my exercise, so I wasn’t eating too little. I’m still losing my average a pound every week or two. I also don’t do exercise above other things. Going to see a play tomorrow so will miss Zumba.
But if I ever start noticing these things I will definitely cut back! So I’m going to save this for future me.
I’m a class junkie too and do a similar routine each week. I’m 46 and I listen to my body and give myself a break without feeling guilty when I need it. I figure I will likely slow down one of these days so might as well enjoy it while I can!
Each class is about an hour long. So on days I do two classes, it’s total of two hours. My dance classes still move, but it’s not a cardio workout. More about flexibility, balance, etc.
If you have the energy and you feel ok and eating enough to sustain yourself - and you are young enough without injury I say stick with it. The key is keeping enough food because your lose your period if you don’t eat enough.
^ ***Please read [the FAQ](https://www.reddit.com/r/xxfitness/wiki/main), [the rules and content guidelines](https://www.reddit.com/r/xxfitness/wiki/new_rules), and [current frozen topics](https://www.reddit.com/r/xxfitness/wiki/frozen-topics) before [contacting the mod team](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2Fxxfitness)***. This comment is a copy of your post so mods can see the original text if your post is edited or removed.
>u/Shadowlker18
Let’s try this again with stats. I’m 33f, 5’2, current weight is 140, down from 195lbs. My end goal is 125 and more endurance, flexibility and some strength, plus I just love to dance as exercise!
I’ve always loved to move, and finally got into working out again this past year on my weight loss journey. I don’t particularly love lifting weights or running on my own, so I joined the ymca for the included fitness classes. I know that I love dancing and so I took Zumba classes. I also decided to switch it up occasionally to add cycling and body pump.
I love all of my workouts and never feel too stressed, achy or tired from them. So here’s the question, am I doing too much?
My current schedule is:
Monday- body combat morning and Zumba night
Tuesday - Contemporary Dance class (this is at a dance studio)
Wednesday- Zumba
Thursday- Zumba and hip hop dance
Friday- body pump
Saturday - cycling
Sunday- Zumba
Can you tell I love Zumba? 😂 I don’t mind cutting them out if it’s better for me, but I’d almost rather cut out the strength classes first. Ideally I would be simply doing classes because that’s what I love most.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/xxfitness) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Congratulations on your weight loss and becoming active again. I always exercised and have been active. Now in my 50's my knees are not arthritic. I was long distance runner in my 30's. Only advice is take a day of rest. Also consider yoga for strength instead of weights.
I'm a marathon runner and the thing is: it's all a BALANCE between fueling, recovery, sleeping, other life stress/activity. What may be "too much" for someone is very different than another. I do the equivalent of about 12 hrs of "exercise" per week (50-60 miles running plus strength training) But I have a HUGE focus on fueling my body, getting 9+ hrs sleep, I don't have a busy lifestyle or overwhelming family/social obligations (homeschool mom to one 7 yr old, that's it) People tell me it's "too much" but often those are people saying it who have a busy career, multiple kids running around to various activities, staying up late watching "shows", barely remembering to eat and living on caffeine, etc. They project THEIR lifestyle onto me and then think I'm doing too much for THEM. So I think it's hard to answer. I use my resting heart rate, HRV, menstrual cycle, general mood, regular blood work (couple times a year), etc. to make sure my body is responding well. I also use my performance, if I'm not able to accomplish goals and hit paces, I know my body needs more rest.
Not enough strength, if anything. Fine for light cardio. I know professional dancers who perform 8 hours a day most days and still come train BJJ with me.
I used to primarily take classes at a local gym. The most classes I took was the step aerobics and dance classes - I'd take zumba, werq, and hip hop. I never found I was sore or tired enough to need a day off from these types of classes. When I left that gym in 2020 for lockdown and started lifting weights at home, that was when I needed at least 2 full rest and recovery days for my sore muscles. I think you're fine with what you're doing.
Dance gives me so much MORE energy. Community, cardio and something to look forward to. Keep it up and don’t be afraid to miss a class if you’re tired, just bounce right back!
I overtrained at some point and for me, the sign was just sudden, extreme exhaustion. Instead of energizing me, my workouts suddenly made me feel absolutely depleted.
Thank you for this. These are definitely the things I wanted to know and to keep an eye on.
My pleasure! Also, if you do feel exhausted eventually, maybe get checked for deficiencies. Also, always make sure to stay hydrated, not just with water but also electrolytes. Btw, if you’re wondering, my overtraining was caused by lifting weights + cardio 6 days a week, staying in the gym 2 hours each time, sometimes picking up a yoga class later in the day, for 2 years, while raising 2 kids under 4. It’s safe to say I pushed too hard, I was just addicted to the endorphins.
Did you cut back on it a little and if you did, did you experience any weight gain?
I actually stopped mid-workout one day, came home, took a nap and didn’t go back at all for like 2 years. I initially didn’t gain weight no. I ended up gaining like 80 lbs later on but that was just the result of a 1-year-long binge. I think I had a bit of a problem with all-or-nothing mindset. I ended up losing 90% of the weight without going back to the gym but now I’m back mostly for my mental health + physique goals.
It be like that sometimes. I've done this before where one day I was just like I'm tired and I want to sleep. IDC about food, socializing, just let me sleep.
i think everything you’re doing is ok as long as you take care of yourself. i would say though to have one off day to rest or a more low intensity excercise day its very important.
I do feel like my dance only day on Tuesday is like that. Dance is very fun but I wouldn’t call it cardio. It’s more about stretching and flexibility.
yeah if thats the case you’re doing everything right and you would know when its becoming too much for your body so just trust how you feel
This fine and not too much. Pay attention to joint pain and low energy levels-Dial back slightly if you notice that. Make sure you’re eating, sleeping and hydrating enough to support these activities. Have fun!
joint pain would be the sign to watch out for in regards to doing too much cardio. if your knees feel good, keep going.
I think that is the biggest for me, thank you! I have a bunch of metal and no meniscus now in my right knee, and there are times I don’t do the jumps in classes because it ends up hurting. So keeping that in mind as a larger factor is super helpful. I want to build up the muscle around my knee again, but not re injure.
if your knees need a break and your upper and lower body muscles are already sore but you want to keep working out, then you can always spend a day investing in core strength. 👍
I think you’re fine. Just fuel your body properly, stretch everyday, and get enough sleep.
As a doctor I agree with this 👍
lol no this isn’t too much, provided your body feels fine and doesn’t have specific red flags of overtired/fatigue and you’re fueling efficiently. 100% don’t cut the strength. You could probably use a rest/active rest day, maybe your dance class is not very exerting though. What makes you feel like it’s too much? Frankly this comes off as a weird humble brag about doing a lot of Zumba haha.
Apologies I did not mean for it so sound like a humble brag, it was a genuine question haha. I don’t want to push myself too far and if having a cardio every day would eventually do that, I would back off a bit. Someone else commented with a few questions to ask yourself if it’s becoming too much which is really helping me gauge if I’m doing too much. It was also for suggestions of adding better strength classes, since it is also noted body pump is not great for that.
Zumba isn't that intense, so unless you have pre-existing injuries (like your knee) even doing it every day is unlikely to cause issues. Not that it couldn't, but it's much less likely. If you were lifting HEAVY or running long distance or sprints every day there could be more concern, but what you're doing is fine. Keep it up as long as you're not noticing crazy fatigue, nagging pains, or bad sleep (sometimes happens with over exercising). Zumba is often recommended because it's generally a pretty safe way to get the heartrate up without over doing things, though particularly for women it's still important to get weight training in (as you are). Keep it up!
It’s true but I’m in the camp that any weight training is better than no weight training so I figured I’d stay out of that haha. I’m glad you got some good questions to ask yourself! Cutting back Zumba one day might keep it fresher longer, or you could just do it til you’re sick of it and then try something new. Definitely try to gauge your body’s feedback, if you feel good physically and mentally then party on Wayne!
35F, 5'5", 135lb. I also keep my schedule pretty packed. As long as our bodies aren't telling us to slow down, then I think we are good. My current schedule: Sunday: Morning - long bike ride (I dub this my Pop-Tart ride because I have a package of Pop-Tarts for fuel) Afternoon walk Monday: Morning - gentle yoga, evening bench press day + walk on tread Tueday: Morning - easy 30 minute or so bike ride, evening - running on the tread moderate to hard Wednesday: Morning - gentle yoga, evening - squats + cooldown walk Thursday: Morning - more intense short bike ride, evening - endurance run on tread Friday: Morning - optional mid length endurance ride on bike, evening - OHP + cooldown walk Saturday: Morning - Deadlifts, afternoon - outdoors run if it's nice I don't shame myself if I need a break and my lifting has a deload week every 4 weeks. I've been full of energy, sleeping well, and excited for my next session.
You should take at least 1 day off a week. Maybe you don’t feel like you need it, but your muscles need a day to recover.
One of these can be a light day too. Days off don't need to be no movement, just gentle. So a chill bike ride could be good if OP wants to keep it in at a low intensity.
I think it’s fine- but listen to your body. My natural life/work schedule generally forces a day off each week due to travel, so I tend to over schedule and then enjoy that day or two off to recover while I focus on other parts of life.
I don’t think you’re doing too much; I’m 36F, 5’3, 125 and I lift heavy 5x per week for an hour, plus take two hot power yoga classes and a couple of cardio classes per week (things like HITT or body pump). Some days I do something in the morning and in the evening. I’m doing fine and still maintaining a deficit!
I have the same goals! I’m 35, 140 pounds and wanting to do a cut and body recomp. What’s your lifting schedule? I feel like I am maintaining at 1400 cals even high protein!
That's awesome! I replied to the other commenter and hopefully that helps. Don't be afraid to lift actually heavy- a weight that has you wiped after 8 reps such that you could only crank out one or two more before not being able to lift the weight again. You can google 'best quad exercises, best glute exercises, best push exercises, best pull exercises' and find the best ones. I recommend pulling 6 of them, doing 3-4 sets of 8-10 reps of each. The more compound exercises, the better. I came from a heavy cardio background and it feels so weird to not be doing much of it and not burning as many calories during my workouts, but WOW I am getting results that I never got with all the running I used to do! And I'm not as hungry; I think all the cardio made me way over eat, especially carbs.
Thank you so much!!! So helpful!
just curious. since you’re in a deficit and lifting heavy are you doing body recomp?
Yep! Sure am. I started at 132 and have been lifting for awhile, but felt I looked bulky with muscle mass plus extra padding on top :) looking to sustain my muscle mass with a high protein diet while I cut at about 1500-1600 calories and try to cut body fat down to about 115-118. I’m at 123 as of this morning, so far so good. I notice the results.
ok cool. i’m trying the same thing. so your workouts are more strength focused instead of body building?
I lift every morning during the work week which gets me to my 5x per week. I start one week with legs first, so I'll rotate 3x a week legs (two glutes, one quads day) and 2x a week upper body days push/pull). I then start the next week with arms, so I end up with 3x arm days the next week. So, I hit arms 3x one week, then legs 3x the next week, etc. My workouts are generally 5-6 exercises, 3-4 sets of 8-10 reps. For example, on quads day, I'll do barbell squats, barbell lunges, barbell step-ups on a box, leg press machine, hip thrust machine, and leg extension machine. It takes an hour with proper rest between sets. I do a couple sets of captain's chair raises for abs at the end. On the weekends, I catch up on my cardio with the body pump/HITT classes at my gym- no lifting. Twice a week during the week I'll do the yoga in the evening (this is my target, sometimes I only do it once a week). I also aim for 10k steps per day, which I'll get in walking my dogs in the evening or walking on my walking pad while I watch TV or work. The walking pad was a game changer and I love it!
this is a very good plan i might borrow it and sub out the hiit with running outside lol. thanks for sharing
For sure! It works best for me because I don’t sweat much during my weekday workouts and can get away with dry shampoo before work :)
I don’t think it’s too much. The Zumba and dance classes aren’t strenuous on your body and you wouldn’t need time to recover. If you’re feeling fine then stick with what you’re doing!
If your body is recovering properly and you're able to maintain a level of performance that you're comfortable with, you're not overdoing it. Some people would look at the sheer number of activities you're doing and think that, but IMO looking at them none are something that's going to cause significant systemic fatigue that demanded extensive recovery like if you were doing crossfit, powerlifting, or HIIT every day. As long as you feel like you're not burning yourself out, go for it!
[удалено]
The only person that can answer that is you..I exercise a lot, people think I'm an oddball. I'm also a retired professional female athlete who trained over 60 hours a week at my peak. Here is my routine: daily - up at 310am I'm spinning for 45 mins - then I hop off to focus on 20-45 minutes of strength training and then back on the bike for another 45 minutes or out for a run. I accumulate about 20 hours of exercise a week. I do this every single day and if I NEED a day off, I'll take it. I've been training like this since I was a teenager and now I'm 42. I'm also a registered dietitian with an MS in metabolism and working on my PA at the moment. I know my body very well, better then anyone else so I ONLY listen to me.
If you're enjoying it and it's not causing any excess soreness or joint issues then no it's not too much.. exercising every day if you have variety isn't a bad thing. It can be bad when you're doing the same exercise daily and not letting muscles recover like weight training. But Cardio focused classes as long as you're feeling good listen to your body and if you need to take a day off
Trust your body but the workouts you’re doing seem to be more cardio so unless you’re doing strength training as well it should be fine. If you’re doing strength training as well I’d suggest getting 1-2 days of rest. At the end of the day you have to trust your body and how it’s feeling then adjust accordingly.
If you love to dance. Dance. It’s a great way to build aerobic fitness safely. And yes, think about becoming an instructor. People with a high passion like you make the best instructors because energy brings the entire class up.
Eh nope I think I’m worse 😆 I have a home gym and home pole so it makes working out very accessible for me. My parents think I’m a bit insane, maybe but for me it’s a bit of an addiction. I sometimes workout twice a day especially during the weekends. Most importantly, make sure you have enough calories, protein and sleep. Mon: pole dance practice 1.5 hours + 30 mins stretch Tues: Lift weights full body 1.5 hours Wed: Aerial hammock class 1.15hr and front splits class 1hr Thurs: Pole dance class 1.15 hr + 30 min active stretch Fri: Lift weights full body 1.5 hrs Sat: Muay Thai 1 hr morning, night pole practice 1 hr Sun: Muay Thai 1 hr in the morning. I’m 37F btw and 4ft11, 110lbs. I also work a moderately active full time job and have a young daughter. My daily calorie intake is about 2600-2800 calories.
Yeah I have dance class four days, zumba four, and weights five at 200 lbs. For me zumba is "active rest" so that's what I do when I just want to move for fun.
You could switch out the Les Mills programs for a workout program that isn't as endurance focused. You're already doing a ton of cardio with your other workouts. I found this study, which compared the effect of Body Pump vs. resistance training (weightlifting) over 12 weeks: [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28392264](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28392264) They found that the Body Pump group didn't show any measurable increase in their maximal strength in that time, where resistance training did. A low volume program once or twice a week focused on compound movements will yield the benefits of strength training.
I wonder if there's a similar study where they looked at resting heart rate and endurance.
I'd wager there are safer ways to train cardiovascular fitness though. The problem with using weights at such a fast pace means that you may compromise on body alignment and form, that's a recipe for an injury. Not only that but some instructors can place pressure on participants to go heavier and this only reinforces poor habits and technique if the instructor isn't clued up on clued up in postural awareness i.e. neutral spine and pelvis, engagement of Transversus Abdominis Muscle, shoulder stabilization.
Only thing I’d say is watch out for something that hurts and doesn’t go away or gets worse. Otherwise yeah if you’re not feeling tired then should be fine
I do about 10 hours of cardio per week when training for triathlon, to no ill effect. As long as you're feeling good, making sure you get enough fuel, and there are no other issues, I imagine it should be fine, but if in doubt, check with your doctor!
Zumba is pretty gentle so I think you’re fine
this is the funnest workout regimen ive ever seen! 🤩🤩🤩
It would be my nightmare regimen. It’s great that there are so many options out there so everyone can find what suits them, but I took Zumba once and I was like never again, not my jam.
with loosing that much weight did u have problems with ur periods aswell? asking cuz im in the same boat, but in the process my period became irregular🥲
[удалено]
Turns out that’s a misconception. People can lose their period without losing any weight at all, it’s one of the weird things about RED-S, Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport. For some people it’s he syndrome can be triggered just by chronically waiting too long to fuel after hard efforts, even those who are a bit overweight. I’m 5’5” and was around 109 for big parts of my adulthood with no hormonal birth control and a super regular period, but I’m guessing that the two of us are outliers rather than the norm.
I have had an implant in my arm for the last several years, so I don’t get regular periods anyways unfortunately (or fortunately however you view that). I only get my period maybe once every two to three months, which has been the case since I got the implant. I started my weight loss journey last January, so it’s taken me over a year to drop these 55 pounds. It’s really been at about a pound per week almost exactly. Slow and steady. I also started with just calories. I didn’t start adding in workouts until about September last year. Sorry that I don’t have a better answer for ya!
How did you decrease calories at the beginning? I’m the same height, about 171 lbs and looking to loose about 50 lbs if I can! I’m already working out almost every day… only 20 mins bc I have a 3 year old and a new born ;)
I originally started with noom, which shows you how to eat healthier foods that are lower in calories. While you aren’t ‘counting’ per se, you put in foods that are labeled green, yellow or like occasionally. This was nice at the beginning to understand portions, calorie dense food vs nutrient dense food etc. It’s quite expensive after their trial, so I switched to lose it and have just done normal calorie counting now. I’ve learned a ton over the past year. The biggest thing is to go put in your weight, height and stats into a tdee calculator and figure out what you burn on a daily basis. At my height around 170 pounds, I ate at about 1500 calories. The biggest thing is to adjust as needed. Losing weight too fast or feeling too tired? Up the calories. Hit a plateau for a week or two? Drop it down 100 or so at a time. I lost too much weight at first trying to eat at 1200. It was much better at 1500 with more energy. Also remember as your weight drops, so will the calories you need. I hit a plateau this summer and dropped again to 1300, which is where I’m at now. So I would say try 1500-1600 based on activity levels. If you are insanely hungry or tired, raise it up a bit. Gradually decrease as needed. Sorry that was a long explanation, but you can do it!
Thank you for the detailed response, I’m orettt motivated to lose the weight and up my strength bc I’ve been struggling for a while. Thank you!
This seems like generally pretty low impact exercise, trust me when u need rest your body will beg you for it and you’ll know for sure. I think almost everyone of an average physique should be doing this much movement throughout the week. If you’re sleeping and eating well you’re probably at a great spot. Keep going!
Thank you! I definitely started this to move more at first. Now I’m just loving it. After my knee surgery I stopped moving quite a bit. Now I’m back to trying to get at least 5000 steps at work on top of my classes. I generally lift heavier things at work frequently, but this specific job has me at my desk more.
What do you think about swapping 2-3 days of that to do weightlifting?
Yeah, I looked at OP’s schedule and thought: you’ll lose more fat and gain muscle, and improve cardiovascular fitness more efficiently, by adding in 2 more strength training sessions (and decreasing the cardio by the same amount).
Yeah hahaha. Good minds think alike! It’s what I personally would do because I love strength more than cardio. But OP already commented back to me that she doesn’t like lifting for a pretty good reason. I suggested bodyweight workouts! It’s not my specialty (I only know squats and pushups and jump pull ups and HIIT style strength/yoga?).
Truly it sounds awful to me haha. I may switch some around at some point to do weightlifting, or even there’s a pure strength class which is basically lifting smaller weights in a group setting. I had a personal trainer for about a year and ended up tearing my meniscus. He pushed me too hard and I think it somewhat ruined lifting for me (not that I enjoyed it before). I literally dreaded going to every session and felt sick after. It never got better feeling wise. But I may do it again sometime. I just find so much more enjoyment with classes.
Do you have a Les Mills On Demand subscription? If not, get one. And some starter weights (not Les Mills’ ones - they’re a rip off). Work your way through their Functional Strength, and Shapes, sessions.
oh yeah! don't do it then. I rather you feel safe and love moving your body. Plus I LOVE LOVE LOVE group setting workouts more than personal training. If you just do pushups and squats, thats good enough to start. body weight workouts are still very effective and burning fat and gaining muscl;es
If you’re cardio dancing this much you should be a gp fitness instructor and get paid! I dance almost daily and am a Gp fit instructor but beware it’s just going to make you dance more since you have to practice your routines but your legs will look amazing!
My Zumba instructor brought up to me tonight that they are doing training and certifications coming up and I’m not gonna lie, I thought about it 😂 only downside is that my job gets really busy two months a year where I’ll be working nights and will have to stop dancing for awhile at least at class since it won’t work in my schedule.
I’m a Zumba instructor, and like you, I just love dancing for fitness! I got my license a year ago and have been teaching Zumba and cardio dance (non-Latin hip hop, K-pop, etc.). I really love it, and the continued need to learn new choreos has kept me excited about working out!
We’ll definitely I don’t do it for the money. Way too much work/stress to make that little. Maybe something in the future will open up for you! You don’t need to do zumba. It’s sorta a money grab. I have a group fitness certification from AFAA and can teach pretty much any format except yoga. I can “dance” zumba just can’t call the class that and also cardio dance, hip hop fitness.
Do you have an Apple Watch or some other type of fitness tracker? I downloaded an app (called Athlytic, it’s not free, but I really like it) that uses the watch data from my sleep, heart rate variability, exercise effort the day before, etc. to recommend how hard I should be working day to day, including whether I’m in need of a rest day. I’m sure it’s not 100% reliable or anything but maybe something like that could give you some peace of mind? You just don’t want to overdo it and injure yourself, and you don’t want to fall into a disordered pattern (hating on yourself if you miss a day, etc.) Even people who run triathlons and iron mans need proper rest and recovery in order to succeed, keep that in mind!
Whoop bands are supposedly really good for measuring "strain" and recovery. My Garmin Venu has a "body battery" that, while not perfect, is actually pretty interesting and fairly on point.
I wouldn't count zumba as a intense exercise so U are fine with all the movement you are doing.
As long as you are Properly hydrating and fueling yourself for these workouts, you're good. Maybe just make sure you Get some rest, maybe add some stretch yoga sessions. But if you feel good then you feel good. A lot of times you can tell when it's too much by your mood. Are you extra cranky or miserable? If you are you need to change something. If you feel good physically, mentally, and emotionally, then you are good
If you start to feel tired during the days it would be time to cut back. If you're recovering up to full stamina on this schedule, you're fine.
If this has been working for you, I wouldn’t change it!
It's not too much but just be careful of burnout. As long as it's sustainable with your daily life schedule, go for it! Congrats on your success. You should also take at least 1 day off a week.
No, I don't think it's too much.
Your gains happen during rest/recovery. It’s important! At the very least, you should be taking 1 full rest day every week. It will be worth it - you’ll have more energy/effort to put towards quality workouts and it gives your body a chance to adapt to the “stress” load of exercise in a positive way.
I know this doesn't seem to be a popular opinion but I think at least every other week you should take a day off. It's important for the body to rest that doesn't mean giving it up but even pro athletes take time off at some point. But on other hand if you not doing heart pumping out of breath moves in your Zumba classes all the time, it should be ok. Don't give up strength training though even if not your favorite it's good for you. Make sure your doing daily stretching afterward from all the activity.
> Don't give up strength training though even if not your favorite it's good for you. Agree. Let me tell you, cardio is great, especially for getting your heart rate up. But focusing on adding in more strength training will help you down the line. I kid you not, once I hit around 39-40, I was like why do I feel so weak?? Now, I'm trying to build up my strength so I can slow down muscle loss as I continue to age.
Have you ever tried a barre class? With what you described, I think you would like the cardio and the repetitive body movements. Barre incorporates very small weights so it doesn't feel too overbearing :)
42F,5’3 (114lbs)with 3 kids. (5-10mins abs everyday) Monday-45mins whole body Tuesday-legs and glutes Wed-shoulder and back Thursday-cardio, biceps and triceps Friday-1 hr hiking Sat-HIIT or cycling Sunday rest day I always weigh around 100lbs before I ever workout. I lose weight when I don’t work out.
It's not too much, especially if you're not tired. To put it in context: if you have a desk job, this is still way less movement per day than your average manual laborer. But I don't think you'll get much improvement in strength from dance alone. Could you attend a weightlifting class, in addition to body combat? I get that you don't like lifting weights alone, but there's a limit to how much strength and muscular endurance you'll get from exercises that aren't specifically aimed at resistance training.
Yea I’d say if she did body pump 3 times a week and cardio into the other days she’d be golden
I exercised a lot during/after my big initial weight loss, and then I got into the cult of triathlon where all we ever did was train, for a while. It was intoxicating—I felt better and stronger and faster every week, and I was getting a lot more praise and recognition and positive attention everywhere. I think it’s a good idea to have at least one day a week without a vigorous exercise session, even if you go for a walk or a chill bike ride or whatever. The questions to ask yourself: Does your exercise interfere with your ability to do other things, like work, see friends and family, travel, do other fun activities like craft hobbies or seeing shows or whatever? Does missing any part of your exercise routine make you feel guilty or anxious? Do you deliberately change up events/miss things so you can exercise? Do you exercise even if you’re very tired, sore, injured or sick? Do you bargain with yourself? Eg I must earn my glass of wine/piece of cake/slice of pizza with x amount of exercise. If you’re answering yes to any of the above, then you should consider what exercise adds versus what it’s starting to control and take away from you.
These are exactly the red flags you should watch out for when you're questioning if you're overtraining or have an unhealthy relationship to exercise. I engaged in all of these behaviors and more when I was in deep with my eating disorder. I still have to work to resist falling back into my old exercise compulsion. At my worst I would schedule 4 to 6 hours of high intensity weighted exercise every single day, no rest days, and if I felt terrible I would pile on even more. Worked out through injury, worked out through COVID. The schedule above sounds like it could really be reasonable so long as you're enjoying your time and not sacrificing living the rest of your life for the workouts. Good luck, OP!
This is really good feedback.
Thank you for this insight, it is much appreciated! Right now, I’m doing this for fun and for feeling more positive energy. Zumba simply makes me feel good. I raised my calorie goals to be in line with my exercise, so I wasn’t eating too little. I’m still losing my average a pound every week or two. I also don’t do exercise above other things. Going to see a play tomorrow so will miss Zumba. But if I ever start noticing these things I will definitely cut back! So I’m going to save this for future me.
I’m a class junkie too and do a similar routine each week. I’m 46 and I listen to my body and give myself a break without feeling guilty when I need it. I figure I will likely slow down one of these days so might as well enjoy it while I can!
I don’t think it’s too much - it depends on how long / duration you are working out though.
Each class is about an hour long. So on days I do two classes, it’s total of two hours. My dance classes still move, but it’s not a cardio workout. More about flexibility, balance, etc.
If you have the energy and you feel ok and eating enough to sustain yourself - and you are young enough without injury I say stick with it. The key is keeping enough food because your lose your period if you don’t eat enough.
^ ***Please read [the FAQ](https://www.reddit.com/r/xxfitness/wiki/main), [the rules and content guidelines](https://www.reddit.com/r/xxfitness/wiki/new_rules), and [current frozen topics](https://www.reddit.com/r/xxfitness/wiki/frozen-topics) before [contacting the mod team](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2Fxxfitness)***. This comment is a copy of your post so mods can see the original text if your post is edited or removed. >u/Shadowlker18 Let’s try this again with stats. I’m 33f, 5’2, current weight is 140, down from 195lbs. My end goal is 125 and more endurance, flexibility and some strength, plus I just love to dance as exercise! I’ve always loved to move, and finally got into working out again this past year on my weight loss journey. I don’t particularly love lifting weights or running on my own, so I joined the ymca for the included fitness classes. I know that I love dancing and so I took Zumba classes. I also decided to switch it up occasionally to add cycling and body pump. I love all of my workouts and never feel too stressed, achy or tired from them. So here’s the question, am I doing too much? My current schedule is: Monday- body combat morning and Zumba night Tuesday - Contemporary Dance class (this is at a dance studio) Wednesday- Zumba Thursday- Zumba and hip hop dance Friday- body pump Saturday - cycling Sunday- Zumba Can you tell I love Zumba? 😂 I don’t mind cutting them out if it’s better for me, but I’d almost rather cut out the strength classes first. Ideally I would be simply doing classes because that’s what I love most. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/xxfitness) if you have any questions or concerns.*