Overexercising

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Participating in physical training to an extreme extent that may result in negative health effects
2. Exercising with such intensity and frequency that it leads to detrimental consequences for one's body
3. Engaging in physical activity to an excessive degree which may harm one's overall health and well-being

Etymology: "Overexercising" is the present participle of "overexercise," which is simply "over-" attached to "exercise." The prefix "over-" comes from Old English "ofer," meaning above, beyond, or too much, and it has been used in English compounds since the early medieval period. Its sense of excess is what gives this verb its meaning: to exercise beyond what is good for you. The base word "exercise" has a more physical past than its modern gym associations suggest. It descends from Latin "exercere," built from "ex-," out, and "arcere," to keep shut up or confine, so the root idea is driving something out of an enclosure, which is to say keeping busy and at work. Latin "exercitium" meant training or practice, passed through Old French "exercise," and entered English in the Middle English period with that sense of practice and drill.

Synonyms: overtraining, excessive exercise, strain, fatigue, overdoing

Antonyms: rest, relaxation, inactivity, idleness, break