Over-exercising: How to find out if you're becoming addicted to working out

Sly Saint · Feb 5, 2022

The mental health charity Mind are concerned that some people may be becoming overly reliant on exercise and are urging ‘exercise addicts’ to build in rest days.
21-year-old Catherine spoke to Emma Barnett on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour about her experience of becoming too reliant on exercise. She says it negatively impacted her wellbeing and it became the ‘sole purpose’ of her day.
Hayley Jarvis, Mind’s Head of Physical Activity, also shared some advice about how to spot the warning signs of over-exercising and what you can do to avoid it.
Catherine's story
During the pandemic, Catherine was put on furlough. The 21-year-old, who had struggled with an eating disorder, found herself increasing her levels of exercise to fill the extra time.

“When I was put on furlough, my days lacked structure and routine, so I started exercising more as a means to fill some time. I used exercise to control what I couldn’t control, which was being off work.

“I realised there was a problem when I was starting to withdraw from social situations and make excuses to be able to exercise. I was doing it in secret as well. I didn't want to tell people where I was going or what I was doing, I just wanted to hide it away. Before I knew it, exercise became the sole purpose for my day.

“I didn’t realise the effect it was having on my wellbeing until it was too late. Inevitably, I burnt out. It all became too much and I confided in my mum.

“I had to force myself to reduce my exercise, even if I didn’t want to, as I knew in the long-term it was necessary to get my life back. So I monitored how much I was doing and reframed my ‘minimum amounts’ into ‘maximum amounts’.

“I found it really hard to talk about the experiences that I had because we're in a society that doesn't treat exercise as a problem or see that you can over-do exercise.

“Everyone has a very personal amount of exercise that they do. When you go over that amount and you start setting unlimited boundaries for how much exercise you are doing, forcing yourself to almost go against what your body is telling you to do, that’s when you know you’re doing too much.”
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/ar...out-if-youre-becoming-addicted-to-working-out

Shadrach Loom · Feb 5, 2022

Must admit, I never liked exercise even before I became intolerant to it, but I do know a chap who identifies as having PVFS, and who occasionally succumbs to temptation, goes to the gym and then feels wretched, in the same way that a normal human might lapse with cakes and bacon sandwiches.

Mithriel · Feb 7, 2022

So there are no circumstances where exercise is not good for people then; always good no negative effects.

duncan · Feb 7, 2022

Addicted. To exercise?

I remember when addicted meant addicted.

shak8 · Feb 7, 2022

yeah but, have a neighbor w/lingering covid (three weeks or so) and she cannot not do strenuous yard work all day. Maybe she takes a med that makes her that way, who knows, for depression, or maybe anxiety makes one that way.

She told me she cannot sit still and yet suffers from covid fatigue...well it must not be enough fatigue to teach her a lesson.

Snow Leopard · Feb 8, 2022

Is there a way to tell if you are addicted to telling people to exercise?

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