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Exercise Addiction
There have been many changes brought about by the onset of the pandemic which has meant that making adjustments to our well established routines have been inevitable. This can be a difficult prospect, given the fact that we are all creatures of habit. Some of the better documented changes are having to spend more time working from home, not having to commute into the office every day, having to socially distance in some places, and having to wear facemasks indoors.
However, there are other changes that each of us has had to make to our daily routines, some of which are less obvious and may not be quite so well publicised. One of these is the adjustments we have had to make to our daily exercise routines, in the face of gyms/fitness centres closing at the beginning of the pandemic, meaning that for many people the home place has become a makeshift gym.
Having to adapt to maintaining exercising on a regular basis when gyms and other health facilities have closed has presented different challenges for different people, depending on individual circumstances. The shift to home working for many people and the removal of the daily commute offers both a more flexible work schedule as well as making more time available in the day for other activities.
With the backdrop to these changes being a global pandemic that’s been caused by an infectious disease, and there being a well-established link between having a strong immune system and exercising on a regular basis, some people may push themselves to stay fit by exercising more regularly. However, some people may risk adapting to this new lifestyle by over-exercising and developing an unhealthy obsession with physical fitness and exercise. During the COVID-19 lockdown, these individuals may exercise excessively considering a more flexible work schedule combined with working from home, more free time, less travel, and also public health encouragement to take regular exercise.
One of the main benefits of exercise is the positive feeling that it generates once completed due to the release of certain chemicals (neurotransmitters) in the nervous system. These chemicals create a sense of pleasure or reward, and in most cases are a positive by-product of exercise. However, the neurotransmitters triggered by exercise are endorphins and dopamine, which are the same neurotransmitters released by drug use. An exercise addict feels reward and joy when exercising. When they stop exercising, the neurotransmitters disappear, and an individual then has to exercise again in order to release these neurotransmitters which creates a vicious cycle.
The pursuit of these neurotransmitters that create a feeling of reward and joy is one cause of exercise addiction however, exercise addiction is also often a by-product of an eating disorder (anorexia or bulimia), or a body dysmorphic or body image disorder. Some of the symptoms of exercise addiction are as follows:
• 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 • experiencing an inability to stick with a reduced exercise routine If you experience any of the symptoms above, then you may either have or be developing an exercise addiction. Exercise addiction isn’t always easy to diagnose and most exercise addicts don’t see anything wrong with their behaviour. If you feel as though you either have or are developing an addiction to exercise, you may want to think about limiting your workout time and the amount of daily exercise being completed. Take breaks from exercise throughout the week to let your body rest. If you find yourself becoming obsessed with exercising or become anxious when your potential to exercise is limited, talk to your doctor about what you can do to create a more healthy relationship fitness.