I like running not only because of amazing health benefits such as stress relief and a healthy heart but also because it makes my body feel bearable to me. If I do not consistently run every week then my brain will spiral into self deprecating thoughts, all courtesy to my obsession with the way I look. Although I experience this, this feeling engrosses itself within other individuals as well and quickly becomes a prevalent factor in their lives. Unfortunately, due to the fact that many individuals are obsessed with the way they look they in turn develop an unhealthy obsession with working out in order to achieve their perfect body and/or find fulfillment and it is simply not worth it.
When individuals have a compulsive exercise addiction it is oftentimes rooted within deeper issues such as body image/eating disorders or other addictions such as cigarettes, drugs, alcohol, a shopping addiction, etc. and it manifests itself in consistently working out. Also known as “anorexia athletica…[this] is an eating disorder characterized by an obsession with exercise to lose weight or prevent oneself from gaining weight” (Center for Discovery). Some of the symptoms of obtaining an exercises addition are: “feeling buzzed after exercising, experiencing withdrawal symptoms after long periods without exercise, experiencing uncontrollable desires to exercise, reducing activities in other areas of life to make time for exercise, spending long periods of time preparing for, and recovering from exercise, and experiencing an inability to stick with a reduced exercise routine” (Healthline). Personally, I find myself running on the days where I do not feel like exercising because I know that I will feel good afterwards but the reason that I feel that way is not because I did something beneficial for myself but because my body releases endorphins and dopamine which gives the same effect as drug use and when those neurotransmitters stop producing these chemicals the individual that is working out has to exercise more to trigger them to release again. Exercise addiction can be triggered by the production of endorphins, which the body releases in response to pain, and dopamine, which the brain releases in response to pleasure and this can lead to individuals with prior addictions or poor body image to become obsessed with the need to work out because it fulfills that part of the brain that releases these chemicals which makes them want more. In addition, anorexia athletica proves to be a defining characteristic in the need to work out. In fact, According to the Eating Disorder Foundation, as many as 46 percent of 10-year-old girls are on a diet, fear to get fat, or are binge eating…” (Center for Discovery). This in turn can lead to bodily injury such as bone and muscle injuries because of poor nutrition and overworking the body. Furthermore, due to the fact that this obsession can start from a very young age it can overall impact the quality of life of individuals that experience this.
Although the American Psychiatric Association does not recognize this as a diagnosis there are still ways that an individual can treat this. Professional assistance is desirable because it can assist with the mental components of helping individuals center their thoughts, but in certain circumstances, people who experience this problem cannot get such assistance, therefore self control presents as the most important factor. Self-control will show itself in other positive behaviors including setting time limits on exercises, taking breaks, and perhaps using a journal to record your thoughts and feelings before, during, and after workouts as well as the days you work out and how long you work out. Through these healthy behaviors, the want to exercise will be heard, and people who have this condition will subsequently discover a healthy balance in their exercise routines.