Chelsea McEntegart
Admissions Manager
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Ask a questionExercise addiction is a compulsive need to engage in any form of physical activity regardless of adverse consequences like physical injury. There are distinguishing characteristics that set healthy exercise apart from exercise addiction.
The symptoms of exercise addiction include exercising excessively without taking a post-workout recovery, being unable to cut down on workout duration, developing tolerance to physical activity, experiencing withdrawal symptoms when skipping a workout, and neglecting other responsibilities in life to make time for exercise.
Several factors contribute to overexercising. The most common causes of exercise addiction include chasing the euphoric state obtained through exercise, suffering from an eating disorder, and having a negative body image.
Becoming addicted to physical activity is also associated with a wide array of physical and psychological adverse consequences. The effects of exercise addiction include damaged personal relationships, an increased risk for bone and muscle injuries, psychological distress, and eating disorders.
Exercise addiction is an uncontrollable impulse to engage in excessive exercise that often leads to the impairment of physiological and psychological functions. Compulsive exercising is characterized by a craving for physical activity despite fatigue, illness, or injury.
People addicted to working out have a constant preoccupation with exercise and may spend the whole day thinking about when to hit the gym again. A person with the condition may also be aware of the negative consequences of their addictive behavior but will continue to engage in excessive physical activity anyway.
The causes of exercise addiction involve several factors that may influence the development of the condition. The causes of exercise addiction are listed below.
The effects of exercise addiction refer to the consequences that individuals may experience when they develop an unhealthy and compulsive relationship with exercise. The effects of exercise addiction are listed below.
The signs and symptoms of exercise addiction represent observable and experienced indications that an individual’s exercise routine is starting to interfere with their daily life. The most common signs and symptoms of exercise addiction are listed below.
Other possible exercise addiction symptoms include:
An individual can overcome exercise addiction by acknowledging that a problem exists and by having a trusted loved one to communicate the issue with. Admitting the problem is often the first step to finding a solution.
Exercise addicts often feel alone in their struggles. Having someone who can offer emotional support is an assurance that a person will not go through the journey of recovery alone.
Building a support network also means that there are people who will hold the recovering addict accountable for their actions, helping the exercise addict stay on track and focus on an addiction-free life. Taking responsibility for each decision is essential in avoiding relapse and maintaining a sober life.
The risk factors for exercise addiction include conditions or circumstances that may increase a person’s susceptibility to compulsive exercise. The risk factors for exercise addiction are listed below.
Individuals who are at risk for exercise addiction include those with elevated levels of neuroticism, low in agreeableness, and people with a competitive nature, according to a 2018 pilot study exploring the role of personality factors in exercise addiction published in the International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction.
Individuals who have high levels of neuroticism tend to experience a lot of stress, anxiety, irritability, and mood swings. People with neurotic personalities are more likely to abuse substances and have eating disorders. Neurotics tend to develop exercise dependence to deal with and handle negative feelings.
Individuals who are low in agreeableness often have a competitive nature and take little interest in other people. People who tend to be less agreeable will engage in excessive physical activity as a way of satisfying their competitive nature.
Exercise addiction is treated by identifying destructive thought patterns and behaviors that contribute to the disorder and developing healthier coping methods. These are commonly achieved with a type of treatment called cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).
CBT is a form of psychotherapy that involves working with a therapist who can help the exercise addict develop self-awareness and learn how to remove themselves from trigger situations.
Several addiction treatment centers include CBT as part of their inpatient and outpatient programs. Other treatment options of exercise addiction include motivational interviewing, support groups, and dual diagnosis treatment.
Dual diagnosis treatment is especially helpful for people who have co-occurring psychological disorders along with exercise addiction. This type of treatment addresses both issues to achieve the best outcome in an individual’s recovery.
Exercising is addictive because it triggers the release of brain chemicals such as endorphins and dopamine, which are associated with feelings of happiness and relaxation. Exercise is any physical activity that promotes overall health and fitness.
People engage in regular physical activity to maintain a healthy weight, combat health risks and diseases, and improve their mood and overall mental health.
Healthy exercise has a plethora of benefits. The advantages of exercising regularly include the improvement of brain health, better sleep, a healthy heart, and relief from stress and anxiety. In some cases, however, exercise may become unhealthy, especially when someone develops an obsession over the activity.
The disadvantages of excessive exercise include developing exercise addiction, being more prone to bone and muscle injuries, struggling with eating disorders, and having dysfunctional relationships.
One of the reasons why exercise can be addictive is because of the release of brain chemicals that create a sense of euphoria. This response to physical activity is also seen in other forms of addiction like drug use.
The feelings of euphoria and pleasure dissipate in the absence of exercise. As a result, an exercise addict feels the need to exercise more to feel the desired effects once again.
Exercise addiction counseling is necessary when identifying and addressing the psychological reasons behind engaging in excessive exercise. Working with a mental health counselor will help identify and understand the triggers of the addiction so that a struggling exercise addict can develop healthier behaviors and coping strategies to avoid relapse.
Counseling sessions may be done individually, in groups, or with family members. The aim of counseling is to address emotional challenges that may tempt a person to engage in compulsive exercise again.
The symptoms of exercise addiction withdrawal include anxiety, increased irritability, restlessness, depression, guilt, and sleep problems. Withdrawal symptoms may occur when an exercise addict is forced to stop or cut back on working out.
As exercise becomes the center of the addicted person’s life, avoiding uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms becomes the primary motivation for excessive physical activity.
The unique relation between exercise and energy drink addiction is that many exercisers take energy drinks before working out in order to improve performance during exercise. However, energy drinks cannot replace body fluids that are lost in sweat while exercising like how sports drinks do.
In fact, the caffeine content of beverages that individuals with energy drink addiction often consume has a mild diuretic effect or may cause the need to urinate and therefore remove water from the body. Although this does not increase one’s risk for dehydration, overconsumption of caffeine while exercising may have adverse consequences.
For instance, having too much caffeine while working out can result in heart palpitations, jitters, and nausea.
Chelsea McEntegart
Admissions Manager
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