Exercising regularly is one of the most important ways to live and maintain a healthy lifestyle but did you know that excessive exercise can actually be harmful?
If you have a suspicion that you or someone you love could be addicted to exercise, look no further as help is at hand.
Continue reading and you will be able to find out what exercise addiction is, how you can determine if you or someone else could be addicted to it and how it can be treated.
What is Exercise Addiction?
Also known as anorexia athletic or obligatory exercise, exercise addiction can be defined as an illness that forces individuals to train excessively.
It’s important to note that there are distinct differences between enjoying exercising and being addicted to it.
When an individual is addicted to exercise, it means that it has taken over their entire life and they are constantly preoccupied with it.
Research is being done to find out exactly how exercise addiction is caused, however it is believed that due to the release of endorphins (natural painkillers), it causes the individual to experience pleasure.
Addicts who exercise constantly will begin to have a higher tolerance threshold, meaning the individual will have to train longer and harder to achieve an effect that was once felt through less exercise.
Signs and Symptoms of Exercise Addiction
When individuals are addicted to exercise, it is all they can think about and will be unable to complete or concentrate on activities at work or at home.
The individual will also skip work and other duties just to get their fix of exercise, which may hamper their personal relationships with family members, friends and work colleagues.
When the individual cannot exercise like with any other addiction will suffer withdrawal symptoms.
These withdrawal symptoms may range from anger and aggression, guilt and nervousness. The inability to train may also cause the individual to implement drastic diet changes and may restrict themselves from eating foods that are unhealthy or could make them gain weight.
Other symptoms of exercise addiction include a reduction in athletic performance as well as body aches and pains.
Long term exercise abuse may lead to more serious conditions such as liver and kidney damage, malnutrition and insomnia.
Exercise Addiction Treatment
If you linked the above symptoms with yourself or a loved one, the best way to recover is to seek professional help immediately.
There are various counselling methods that can be used which will put exercise addicts on the path to recovery. This counselling will help in educating the individual about their addiction and how to find a balance in their exercise schedules.
For more information regarding treatment, please call us now and our qualified addiction counsellor will gladly assist you.