Exercise Addiction (part I)
This is a two part blog series on exercise addiction. I’ve done a lot of work around people who deviate from exercise and now I am going to steer the conversation around people who are addicted to exercise. The emotions behind both are actually very similar.
While so much of society right now is focused on obesity and the fact that obesity is right up there around the #1 killer of American’s, there is another portion of the population at the other end of the spectrum addicted to exercise.
Who is addicted to exercise
Most of these addicts are women, ages 35-60 that are running on a treadmill for hours, spinning out of control or climbing stairs that lead to nowhere because they have lost their physical, emotional and spiritual balance. They are unhappy in their lives wondering whether or not they have accomplished anything significant and are unhappy with their appearance.
These two blogs are going to discuss positive versus negative exercise addiction, addiction and the brain, the personality of an addict, and how coaches and personal trainers might help offset exercise addiction.
Positive versus negative exercise addiction
Exercise addiction is a psychological and/or physiological dependence on a regular exercise program that is characterized by withdrawal symptoms after 24-36 hours of no exercise. These symptoms may include: anxiety, irritability, nervousness, guilt, etc which only occurs if a person is prevented from exercise due to circumstances beyond their control.
Positive bouts of exercise
Positive bouts of exercise promote psychological strength and increase life satisfaction and can be used to help people become stronger. These characteristics lead a person toward enhancement of their state of being and functioning. This typically occurs when a person continues to participate in regular physical activity. With a positive addiction to exercise, exercisers view their involvement in regular physical activity as important to their lives, and they can successfully integrate this activity with other aspects of their lives, including work, family, and friends.
Exercise addiction
When exercise controls a person’s life, it is considered a negative addiction to exercise. Life becomes structured in such a way that home, work and relationships take a back seat to exercise and exercise, rather than enhancing, deters psychological and physiological functioning. Negative addiction to exercise, similar to other addictive processes, is characterized by increasing dose dependence and withdrawal symptoms under deprivation.
The primary symptoms and things to look for in exercise dependency include:
- Stereotypical patterns of exercise including a regular schedule
- Increasing priority of exercise versus other activities
- Increased tolerance to the amount of exercise
- Withdrawal symptoms related to mood disorder following the cessation of exercise
- Relief of withdrawal symptoms when exercise resumes
- Subjective awareness of the compulsion to exercise
- Rapid reinstatement of the previous pattern of exercise and withdrawal symptoms after a period of abstinence
Besides some of the withdrawal symptoms (anxiety, irritability, nervousness and guilt) exercise addiction has many harmful effects on a persons mind and body similar to other addictions.
On Friday I will talk more about the brain, the personality of an addict, some of the effects of exercise addiction and how coaches and personal trainers might help offset exercise addiction.
If you think you struggle with exercise addiction contact me: drmichelle@drmichellecleere.com
Happy Wednesday!
Dr. Michelle
