Do I Have Exercise Addiction?

Do you experience uncontrollable desires to exercise?

Do you experience withdrawal symptoms after long periods without exercise?

Do you spend long periods of time preparing for, and recovering from, exercise?

Do you experience an inability to stick with a reduced exercise routine?

Do you feel buzzed after exercising?

Do you reduce activities in other areas of life to make time for exercise?

Do you engage in the behavior despite wanting to stop?

Do you engage in the behavior even though it’s causing physical harm?

While it is unlikely that you have exercise addiction, you may be displaying a few signs related to it. Exercise addiction in an unhealthy obsession with exercise. It’s often a result of eating disorders and body image disorders. To prevent exercise addiction, you should limit your workout time and the amount of exercise on a daily basis. If you aren’t sure about your emotions and feelings, it may be important to talk to your doctor about what you can do. In case you answered ‘no’ to all questions, there is no need to worry.

Based on your answers, you are displaying some signs related to exercise addiction. Exercise addiction is sometimes hard to diagnose. Most of the people who have an exercise addiction don’t think there is something wrong with them, so they don’t report it. Besides, there are no specific diagnostic criteria to use in its diagnosis. Increased obsession with exercising and decreased social activity usually indicate exercise addiction. It may be important to see your doctor to talk about your symptoms. He may ask you to keep a journal of your workout routines and social activities. It’s important to take breaks from exercise during the week for your body to rest.

Unfortunately, you are displaying the symptoms typically seen among individuals who have exercise addiction. It may be of high importance to seek medical support. Most of the time, self-control is required to treat the addiction. The person needs to acknowledge that they have a problem and take steps to control exercise activity. They may switch to new forms of exercise or moderate their current workout routines. It may be necessary to stop exercising for a while to gain control over the desire to exercise. How much time it takes to overcome the addiction depends on the severity of the symptoms.