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Exercise is an important part of health and wellness for both the body and mind.1 For years, it’s been considered a core component of a “healthy lifestyle,” and indeed, some daily bodily movement can do wonders for our physical selves and our emotional and mental states.
But it is possible to have too much of a good thing.
Experts recognize exercise addiction as a dangerous form of obsessive or excessive behavior, and the condition is also increasingly being found to co-occur with eating disorders.3
Exercise addiction (also called exercise dependence) and compulsive exercise are slightly different. Exercise addiction relates to the need to exercise for physical fitness, while compulsive exercisers work out to avoid or mask negative feelings.4
Yes, you can be addicted to exercise. It may not yet be part of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), but mental health experts have been studying and citing the phenomena of exercise addiction for years.2
Through this observation, a rough list of traits has been designated as markers to help understand the difference between a fitness enthusiast and someone struggling with exercise addiction.
Here are six signs that you may be addicted to exercise:2,3
One of the challenging parts about exercise addiction is that even if people are aware that their behaviors negatively impact their physical and mental health, the causes behind these actions are often beyond their control.
So, what causes exercise addiction? How does it change from a healthy behavior that assists physical and mental well-being to an addiction connected to eating disorders?
The cause of exercise addiction varies among each person, but there are some trends.
While many cases of exercise addiction may start with good intentions to get in better shape, the addiction takes hold once the body’s reaction to the exercise overrides the brain’s logic around the behavior.
Exercise releases endorphins and the chemical dopamine that makes the individual feel good.1 Exercise can therefore become a catalyst for achieving this feeling and chasing the high that comes from the cascade of feel-good chemicals. Depending on exercise to make you “feel good” can also create a cycle of negative reinforcement, maintained by the desire to reduce anxiety, anger, depression, or boredom.2
In addition, many cases of exercise addiction co-occur with eating disorders, with the overlap rate estimated to be anywhere from 39-48%.2 This means people who have exercise addiction may also be dealing with things like body dysmorphia, orthorexia, and any number of other eating disorders. This co-occurrence with disordered eating may make the decision to reduce or stop exercising quite difficult without professional help.
It’s important to note that “healthy exercise” looks different for everyone.
Someone recovering from an eating disorder may practice “mindful movement,” whereas someone in training for a marathon or athletic competition may work out multiple times per day. Like with eating, every body has its own exercise needs and requirements to maintain health. Therefore, there is no universal metric by which to judge another person on their exercise efforts.
When looking at exercise enthusiasts from the outside, it might be hard to differentiate between someone working out within their own healthy limits and someone exhibiting the signs of exercise addiction. To help clarify the difference, many experts utilize Freimuth’s clinical heuristic for distinguishing phases of addiction.2
If someone is motivated by the desire to get in shape and enjoys working out regularly but is willing and able to stop in the face of negative consequences, such as suffering a twisted ankle or getting a concussion, they likely aren’t addicted to exercise.
On the other hand, someone addicted to exercise would likely have trouble staying away from their routine, even after sustaining an injury, and be unable to stop themselves, despite the risk they would be running by working out while hurt.2
If exercise addiction is identified, it can be equally tricky to treat, as it’s not an official DSM diagnosis. Often, patients may have to step down their gym time, alter their workout routines, or refrain from time exercising altogether until they’re more in control of their actions.
Therapists might have a patient keep a journal of their workout routines and social engagements to help determine whether that person is struggling with the condition. If the condition is co-occurring alongside an eating disorder, treatment might be advised for both conditions simultaneously. Therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) have been successful in helping treat these co-occurring conditions.
Disclaimer about "overeating": Within Health hesitatingly uses the word "overeating" because it is the term currently associated with this condition in society, however, we believe it inherently overlooks the various psychological aspects of this condition which are often interconnected with internalized diet culture, and a restrictive mindset about food. For the remainder of this piece, we will therefore be putting "overeating" in quotations to recognize that the diagnosis itself pathologizes behavior that is potentially hardwired and adaptive to a restrictive mindset.
Disclaimer about weight loss drugs: Within does not endorse the use of any weight loss drug or behavior and seeks to provide education on the insidious nature of diet culture. We understand the complex nature of disordered eating and eating disorders and strongly encourage anyone engaging in these behaviors to reach out for help as soon as possible. No statement should be taken as healthcare advice. All healthcare decisions should be made with your individual healthcare provider.
After discontinuing workouts, those addicted to exercise may experience withdrawal-like symptoms, including:5
Too much exercise (i.e., problematic exercise) can negatively affect your physical and mental health. Negative consequences to your physical health include:6
Effects on your mental health include:6
