“It can feel like an addiction for some people.”

You run or walk briskly in the morning, then head to the gym in your free time. Missing a workout is not an option.

Are you exercised obsessed, or just an avid exercise enthusiast? That depends on your attitude, say mental health experts.

If you exercise frequently because you enjoy it and like the health benefits it provides, you have the right reasons in mind. If you exercise because you feel compelled to do so, and in spite of having injuries, you may be at risk for developing an exercise disorder.

“There is no set formula or standard that reveals how much exercising is too much,” says Theresa Fassihi, a psychologist with the Menninger Clinic’s Eating Disorders Program in Houston. “But if exercising is interfering in a person’s life, and it is compulsory, then it may be a problem.

“It can feel like an addiction for some people. They feel like they are powerless to stop.”

Attain physical perfection

Dr. Fassihi treats patients who over-exercise to burn off calories, build muscle or attain physical perfection – and many also have eating disorders.  Problems occur when body perception doesn’t match reality.

As with eating disorders, she says, exercise disorders can affect anybody, but especially people whose activities or professions require physical beauty or high levels of performance, such as dancers and athletes,  and high achievers with perfectionist personalities.

Both men and women can suffer an exercising disorder, but women seek the “lean look” and typically exercise aerobically to become thin, while men want to lift weights to bulk up, Fassihi says.
 
“If you have an exercising disorder, you also may be very preoccupied about your body’s appearance, weight and muscle mass,” she says.  “You spend a lot of time looking at yourself, scrutinizing yourself, measuring yourself and constantly working out to create the muscle mass or lean body that you want.”

Exaggerated vision

People plagued by an exercise disorder also carry around a distorted body image, an exaggerated vision of their appearance. For instance, thin women may think they are too big, and muscular men may think they’re scrawny.

To achieve their ideal body or fitness goals, many persons with exercise disorders also restrict their calories, based on the mistaken belief that they will build a higher proportion of muscle if they restrict their food intake while exercising. Instead, they lose both muscle and fat, putting their health at risk, Fassihi says

“Over-exercising can cause significant damage to the body,” she says. “It can increase the risk of injuries for both men and women. Women may be more at risk for osteoporosis if they are over-exercising and restricting their food intake, and they may stop menstruating completely. Men may use steroids and protein powders to help them achieve their goals, leading to other health problems.”

Over-exercising can also cause stress fractures, which can impede walking. Constant repetitive exercise can cause wear and tear on the body’s muscle, bones and joints, with joint replacement surgery coming for some at a young age, Fassihi warns.

Sense of control

Despite their health problems, many people who go overboard with exercising remain reluctant to admit they have problems, Fasshi concedes.

“Exercise provides them with a sense of control, power, and in some cases, superiority,” she says. “Exercise also relieves anxiety and releases endorphins, which provide a sense of euphoria. Because of the positive aspects of exercise, and its value in our achievement and appearance oriented-society, treatment for exercise disorders can be difficult.

“If you give up an addiction that is bad for you, you give it up cold turkey. However, you can’t give up exercise completely, because it is healthy. You want to learn how to exercise moderately in a healthy way.”

When Fassihi said she starts her patients off slowly with mild physical activity, so that by the time they are no longer needing help, they are working out moderately every other day for about four hours a week.
 
Men and women also learn to confront their anxiety about not exercising, and learn other methods to help them relieve their stress, such as relaxation and breathing exercises. They may also participate in group meetings  to identify and counter negative beliefs they have about their bodies.
 
With treatment, Fassihi says, people realize the toll that over exercising has taken on their lives.

“Over exercising interferes with their quality of life because they devote so much of their time to exercise to the exclusion of anything else,” she says. “Their time is not available for socializing, relationships or work. It is all consuming.”

Five sure signs you're exercising too much

Meanwhile, Fassihi says your attitude toward exercising provides important clues about whether you have a problem with over-exercising. If you suspect you, or a loved one, is going overboard with exercising, talk to your doctor, who may refer you to a professional trained in treating obsessions and addictions.

According to Fassihi, you may be exercising too much if you:

•  Feel you absolutely cannot miss your workout. If you do miss a workout, you feel extremely guilty and uneasy.

•  Believe you must exercise even if you notice that instead of helping your body, you are damaging your body.

•  Are getting more injuries.

•  Hear family and friends expressing concern about your exercise regimen or appearance, yet don’t stop exercising.

•  Feel like you can’t stop exercising.

For more information

•  Are You Dieting, Exercising to Control BP?

•  12 Super Ways to Get to the Gym Regularly

•  To Shrink Belly Fat, Do More Than Just Diet

•  Vigorous Activity Means Less Weight Later

•  Walking or Running: Which is Best for You?

Source: The Menninger Clinic

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