Wellbeing
Can you get addicted to exercise ?
We are all encouraged to exercise – and with sound reason as it ’ s so good for us . But do some people take it too far and develop an exercise addiction that ’ s damaging for themselves and to those around them too . Wellbeing Coach David Hurst explains .
It is believed that half of adults have one or more chronic diseases that are preventable . Yet around three-quarters of adults do not meet health expert guidelines for exercising . Tragically , this is thought to be behind 10 per cent of premature deaths .
So , undoubtedly , exercising is beneficial . There is one problem though – and that ’ s when people cross a line that means the amount of exercise they are doing is actually bad for them . This is the case for three per cent of the population . But that increases to shocking figures among certain groups .
People can and do become addicted to exercise . Exercise addiction , as with working excessively , is what I call the ‘ approved addiction .’ That ’ s because Western society hugely encourages work and exercise , with people even gaining support and encouragement for how much time they are spending working or exercising – even if that ’ s excessively and addictively . But both workaholism and exercise addiction can be just as incredibly unhealthy as any addiction , including to alcohol and other drugs .
Who ’ s most likely to become an exercise addict ? Exercise addiction will usually cause plenty of physical damage , but also leads to a great deal of emotional and mental suffering . It ’ s obvious that exercise addiction is much more likely in keen sports people . So it is actually highest among triathletes where 52 per cent are thought to be exercise addicts . This is closely followed by marathon runners ( 50 percent ); endurance athletes ( 14 per cent ); people who play ball games ( 10 per cent ); and eight percent of gym users .
Another large group of people who become exercise addicts are those suffering from eating disorders . It ’ s estimated that 40 to 50 per cent are addicted to exercising . For these people , exercise is used as another method for stopping weight gain . It is also used to alleviate someone ’ s guilt connected with eating .
Recent research published in the Frontiers In Psychiatry journal revealed that 75 per cent of exercise addicts have a mental health disorder . Most common were depressive disorders ( 56 per cent ), personality disorders ( 47 per cent ), and obsessivecompulsive disorders ( 31 per cent ). It is often a problem as well for people with body dysmorphic disorder , where someone is obsessed that parts of their body are flawed . Exercise addiction is also frequently seen in perfectionists and narcissists .
One more group that struggles with exercise addiction are people already addicted to other things : 15 out of 100 exercise addicts have addictions to cigarettes , drugs and / or alcohol . Then there is addictive anabolic steroid use that is common among exercise addicts . This can cause so many problems , including increased risk of stroke or heart attack , paranoia , delusions , aggression and manic behaviour . In addition , many who quit one addiction that they ’ ve realised is unhealthy – from alcohol and drugs to behavioural addictions such as excessively working , shopping or gambling – will simply turn to another addiction , and that often includes exercise .
In fact , many people who know they have damaged themselves from their excessive drinking and / or drug addiction will seek to make up for it with exercise . But their exercising can soon turn pic : Tone Camara into a new addiction , David Hurst almost instantly in a significant number of cases . Exercise is even encouraged as part of many recovery programs from addictions . So it is understandable that a lot of people are confused that exercise itself can be an addiction .
Exercise as an addiction Exercise addiction clearly fits in my definition of an addiction : doing something that ’ s detrimental to the person , and nearly always those around them as well – yet not seeming able to stop and stay stopped .
Due to how much time is spent on exercising , just like any addiction , it can leave the exercise addict feeling disconnected and alone . This is even if they are frequently at a gym as their interaction with others is limited due to their intense focus on their exercise regime .
Someone addicted to exercise has similar traits to any addict :
• Continuing despite wanting to stop .
• Doing it with some levels of secrecy .
• Obsessing over the behaviour – that frequently disrupts regular daily life .
• Continuing the behaviour even though it ’ s causing mental , emotional , spiritual and physical harm .
The many negative consequences of exercise addiction include insomnia ; fatigue ; muscle strains ; frequent illness ; extreme weight loss ; headaches ; irregular periods ; difficulty concentrating ; strained relationships ; depression ; anxiety ; stress ; and feeling isolated .
Once again in common with any addiction , it ’ s extremely difficult and frequently seemingly impossible to quit or even cut down and maintain that at healthy levels – at least without switching addictions , which is not always obvious . That is , unless whatever it is that is behind the compulsion of any addiction is looked at thoroughly and honestly . The swiftest and most effective way to do this is to speak with somebody with expertise in beating addictions .
DAVID HURST
David Hurst is a Wellbeing Life Coach with four books published on mental health and emotional wellbeing , including 12 Steps To 1 Hero and The Anxiety Conversation . To find out more and contact David to discuss how he can help you or someone you care about , visit : david-hurst . com
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