How to recognize a workout addiction and how to get rid of it

What is exercise addiction

It is an obsessive desire for excessive physical activity that leads to physiological or psychological problems. For example, trauma due to too much exercise or withdrawal symptoms associated with addictions.

Researchers distinguish two types of this condition:

The primary is exercise dependence without an eating disorder.
Secondary is the addiction to exercise that accompanies an eating disorder. It often occurs when a person is trying to control their weight.

The risk of developing exercise dependence is usually highest at the age of Examining Exercise Dependence Symptomatology from a Self-determination Perspective between 18 and 35 years of age. It is the same for everyone, although representatives of different sexes are prone to different Personality characteristics and psychological distress associated with primary exercise dependence: An exploratory study types of dependence. Men - to the primary, and women - to the secondary. This is because women are more prone to eating disorders.

How to identify exercise addiction

It is important to note that this addiction - just like addiction to sex, the Internet and shopping - is not on the list of mental disorders. There is not enough data about them yet. However, based on well-established criteria for identifying addiction to psychoactive substances, scientists have created a scale of seven criteria. If a person meets at least three of them, we can say that he is either already dependent on training, or is at risk.

These are the criteria.

Addictive. You increase the time or intensity of training, because in the previous regime you no longer feel the desired effect - improved mood, vigor.
Withdrawal syndrome. When for some reason you cannot exercise, you develop negative symptoms: increased anxiety, irritation, bad mood. You feel like you need to practice to take them off or delay their appearance.
Unintentionalness. You are doing more than you originally planned (longer, more often, harder). As a result, you are often late everywhere, miss important events or meetings.
Loss of control. You keep exercising even though you want to cut back on the number of sessions. During the day, your biggest thoughts are about going to the gym. Even realizing that something has gone wrong, you cannot stop.
The amount of time spent. You devote a lot of time to training, even when traveling and commuting.
Conflict with other matters. Time for family, communication, hobbies and leisure is shrinking. All this fades into the background, because it conflicts with training. What used to be joyous now seems like a hindrance.
Continuity. You continue to exercise even though you are aware that you have a physiological or psychological problem. For example, exercise despite the pain and the doctor's recommendation to rest. You take pride in always sticking to your workout routine.

Continuity is considered the main criterion. A person who is addicted to exercise will continue to exercise even with an injury or simply change the type of physical activity in order to experience less pain. The average person who is fond of sports will give the body time to recover.

Another crucial indicator is withdrawal syndrome. It is common to experience uplifting and reduced anxiety during exercise. But the addict trains to avoid negative feelings. If training is not possible, severe anxiety, depression, and problems with cognitive functions (memory, concentration, decision-making) often occur.

What is the reason for exercise addiction

Usually the risk of developing an obsessive disorder is high in people who are generally addicted. She is often replaced by other destructive habits, such as addiction to alcohol or shopping. People start to exercise a lot, thinking this is a healthier alternative.

In addition, it can appear due to stress in life. For example, when a person after school moves to another city to study. Stressful situations like this, when life seems to be out of control, can lead to over-training. This is how an attempt to take the situation into our own hands is manifested.

Many people with exercise addiction also show symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder or anxiety disorder. For them, exercise is an attempt to control their anxiety without resorting to alcohol and other bad habits.

Where is the line between normal exercise and addiction?

It is important to evaluate not only the total time spent on workouts, but also the motivation behind them. For example, a person who is preparing for a triathlon can train for four, five or even six hours a day, but not be addicted. Because he can easily take a day off and reshape his schedule due to personal circumstances or injury.

When the desire to exercise turns into an obsession and begins to conflict with work and family responsibilities, it leads to addiction. In the case of a full-fledged addiction, the desire to train becomes all-consuming, it comes to the point that a person thinks only about this all day. In this case, people exercise several times a day, and their training will be more and more long.

If the average person is unable to work out during the day (due to unforeseen activities at work or other circumstances), he will not skip dinner with loved ones to go to the gym. He'll just reschedule classes the next day. The addict will refuse such a dinner, just not to miss a workout.

Coping with exercise addiction

There is no one standard approach. In general, it is advised to consult a psychotherapist or psychologist in order to restructure your attitude to sports. Experts can offer cognitive behavioral therapy, as well as work with a personal trainer who can help bring the amount of exercise to a level that is not harmful to health. The psychologist will also help you deal with the reasons that initially pushed you to over-workout.