When Is It Time to Stop Exercising?

Exercise is undoubtedly one of the best things you can do for your body and overall health.

Movement of any kind can help extend your lifespan and improve your overall well-being. It will help you maintain a healthy weight and keep your cardiovascular and neurological functions in peak form.

And, there are all kinds of exercise routines (or non-routines) that you can do, which is great because it means you don’t ever have to get bored with exercise.

However, there may come a point when you have to stop exercising — or at least change it up.

No, I’m not saying you’ll need to stop forever.

But there are circumstances or facts of life that may necessitate stopping or changing so that you don’t make a bad situation worse.

I’ll get into that now.

4 Instances That Necessitate Stopping or Changing Your Exercise Routine

 
1 - Current Routine Causes Pain or Injury:

We’ve all heard the phrase “no pain, no gain,” and to an extent, this is not the worst mantra when it comes to exercise.

However, when it comes to recurring pain or injury, it could be a sign it’s time to stop what you’re doing and try something else.

If a specific exercise keeps triggering problems like plantar fasciitis, nagging headaches, joint inflammation, or low back strain, it’s time to reevaluate what you’re doing.

Repeated stress on a vulnerable area isn’t just uncomfortable; it can lead to longer recovery times or even permanent damage.

Pain is often your body’s way of waving a red flag.

And while soreness can be normal after exertion, sharp, persistent, or asymmetrical pain is a sign that something isn’t right. According to a 2019 review published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, athletes and recreational exercisers alike tend to ignore early signs of overuse injuries, which can delay healing and increase the risk of chronic issues.

If this sounds familiar, consider switching to a lower-impact activity, like swimming, yoga, or cycling, until the issue resolves.

And if needed, work with a physical therapist or sports medicine expert who can help you identify the movement patterns or imbalances that are causing the issue in the first place.

You don’t need to be locked in a mindset that says, “This is the only workout I can do to maintain my fitness goals.” 

2 -  When You're Not Healthy Enough to Work Out: 

Most of the time, exercise supports better health. But there are very real situations where working out, especially at higher intensity, can do more harm than good.

If you’ve recently had surgery, experienced a cardiac event, developed an autoimmune flare-up, or are dealing with unresolved fatigue or hormonal dysfunction, it may be best to take a step back.

At first, this may seem counterintuitive, but there are times when your body simply can’t take exercise.

For instance, certain forms of chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) are characterized by post-exertional malaise, where even mild activity leads to a crash in energy and function.

A 2020 study indicated that graded exercise therapy (GET) may not be appropriate for all patients with ME/CFS and could even worsen symptoms in some individuals.

Even with more common conditions like thyroid imbalance or adrenal fatigue, excessive or mistimed exercise can push the body further out of balance.

In such cases, gentle movements like walking, stretching, or mobility exercises may be sufficient while you focus on healing.

The key here is not to stop forever. You know that much…

Instead, you need to match your movement to your current health needs and energy levels

3 - When Your Workouts Get Boring:

This one might sound minor, but boredom is a real progress killer.

It’s really hard to get motivated to do something that doesn’t get you the least bit excited. And since exercise is so helpful for boosting health outcomes, you really can’t afford to commit to a boring exercise routine.

If you find yourself dreading your workouts, going through the motions, or skipping sessions entirely, your body and brain are likely craving something new.

Motivation is deeply tied to novelty and perceived enjoyment, and studies show that when people enjoy their workouts, they’re more likely to stick with them in the long term.

A 2018 study in Frontiers in Psychology found that individuals who engaged in autonomously motivated exercise (meaning they picked activities they enjoyed and felt good about) were significantly more likely to adhere to their routine and report better mental and physical outcomes.

The good news is you don’t have to start from scratch if you want to respark your love (or like) for working out. 

Small tweaks can revive your interest. 

• Try a different gym

• Swap out cardio for strength training

• Join a group class

• Move your workouts outdoors

The bottom line is that making it fresh again can reignite your energy and push you past a plateau you didn’t even realize you were in.

4 -  When your goals change: 

Let’s say you started exercising to lose weight, and now you’ve hit your goal…

Or maybe your focus is shifting toward building strength, maintaining joint mobility, or improving bone density. 

Regardless of the circumstances, your workout routine should evolve in line with your goals.

So, in this case, you can stop one exercise in favor of another.

Different goals call for different strategies. If you’re trying to build muscle, that means prioritizing resistance training and progressively increasing load.

If you're training for endurance, you’ll want longer cardio sessions with varying intensities.

And if longevity and joint health are the aim, consistency, mobility work, and proper recovery take center stage.

According to the American College of Sports Medicine, goal-oriented training improves both results and motivation.

When you tie your daily effort to a specific outcome, you're more likely to make smart training decisions, track progress effectively, and stick with it longer.

So don’t be afraid to shake things up when your “why” shifts. Your body will thank you for giving it what it truly needs at each season of life.

Stopping Exercise Isn’t The Answer To Life’s Challenges

I suppose the title of this article was a bit of Clickbait because, as you can see, there’s never really a time to totally stop exercising, even though life might make it feel like you should.

It’s really about adjusting your exercise routine to meet your current circumstances.

If you’re injured, unwell, uninspired, or simply seeking something new, knowing when to pivot is essential for staying healthy.

I didn’t coin this term, “movement is medicine,” but like all good medicine, it has to be the right dose, at the right time, for the right person.