What Is Exercise Addiction And Why Does It Arise?
To stay healthy it is necessary to practice some sports, accompanied by a healthy and balanced diet. However, any excess ends up being harmful. It may happen, therefore, that by doing a lot of activity, you are forcing your body more than necessary. What is exercise addiction and how do you know if you are a victim of it? To find out more, we invite you to continue reading this article.
How does a person with an exercise addiction behave?
The dividing line between the practice of a sport and the addiction to exercise is so thin that it can be crossed at any moment. However, there are clear differences in the behavior of those who have developed an addiction. The latter, in fact, only shows interest in carrying out his daily workouts. His life revolves around them, and if he doesn’t get the chance to do them, he gets frustrated.
In the following lines, you will find out what are the symptoms that signal the compulsion to play sports:
- You no longer play for fun, because the main goal is to win.
- Sufferers prefer to train alone, outside of a gym, to be able to do more exercises than necessary. For him, the most important thing is to perfect his body.
- It takes a lot more effort than usual to perform the movement perfectly.
- Excessive exercise could lead to muscle damage.
- You begin to develop unrealistic expectations of what you will achieve with your training.
- In addition, significant amounts of body fat are lost in very short periods of time.
- Even work and social life take a back seat to the practice of the exercises.
Practicing physical exercises is a very positive fact, which is good for everyone. Having the constancy to do them regularly is certainly admirable. However, care must be taken not to cross the line and fall into addiction.
Reasons why someone may develop a sports addiction
There are several reasons why you could become addicted to sports without even realizing it. It all depends on your goals and how you feel when you achieve them. Here are two hypothetical situations:
You like the way you feel
When you practice exercises, you feel good. This happens due to the release of hormones called endorphins, which give a feeling of euphoria. In addition, tension and stress are eliminated, while, at the same time, the adrenaline rises. All of this can lead you to want to keep feeling this way for a much longer period of time.
In this way, you will feel tempted to dedicate yourself more time to making a greater physical effort. And if, for whatever reason, a day passes without you having the opportunity to perform the planned exercise, you feel dissatisfied.
You want to achieve a goal
If you have a goal in mind, you must strive to achieve it. For example, if you want to get a lean, sculpted body, you need to exercise. At the same time, if you do gymnastics or any other sport, you will need hours and hours of practice to be able to make perfect movements.
However, you have to be very careful not to overdo it. Otherwise, the result will be the opposite of what you want: you could get hurt.
Effects of exercise addiction
Just like addiction to other substances, addiction to exercise causes harm by no means negligible. In particular, they are the following:
- It causes damage to interpersonal relationships, because almost no time is devoted to socialization.
- In men, a decline in testosterone production was noted, as well as severe muscle pain.
- Fatigue, anxiety and problems trying to relax.
What Can Be Done To Overcome Exercise Addiction?
The first thing you need to do to overcome exercise addiction is to recognize the problem. To do this, consult a professional, if possible your personal psychologist or psychiatrist. The latter will be able to identify the presence of the problem, after you have told him what your daily routines consist of. That way, he will be able to know what you prioritize.
To be able to get rid of this disorder completely, it is necessary to undergo therapy. The psychiatrist will prescribe it and will give you advice on what you can do to overcome your obsession with sports.
In conclusion, exercise addiction is a problem that affects not only those who play sports. In fact, the people who are part of the environment of the person concerned are also involved. In any case, this is a problem that can be overcome with the help of a professional and a little personal will and effort. For this reason, if you find yourself spending a lot of time on your training, analyze yourself. You may be developing an addiction.
