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Exercise Addiction
 Exercise
addiction is rare but real. For every person who over
exercises, there are more than a hundred people who rarely
exercise. Usually people who exercise regularly get along better at
home and at work.
To investigate how commonly exercise has an adverse impact,
researchers surveyed the families of 1,500 members of a running
club. The vast majority of families reported that they thought
exercise was a good thing, and less than 5 percent reported that
running was a cause of conflicts or problems.
Years ago, exercise physiologists thought that you could become
addicted to exercise, much like you could addicted to morphine.
Vigorous exercise causes an increase in your levels of endorphins.
The name endorphin comes from combining the two words endogenous
(made in your body) and morphine, and these chemicals act on the
same receptors as narcotics. Endorphin levels go up with most bouts
of intense physical activity. Scientists used to think that
endorphins accounted for a runner’s high and explained why someone
could get addicted to exercise.
 Most intense
workouts cause an increase in endorphin levels. One of the exercise
studies showed that
weight lifting causes your endorphin levels to go up, similar to
the increase from running on a treadmill. Our bodies make endorphins
whenever we exert ourselves, and the higher levels probably help us
better tolerate discomfort. Imagine that you are one of your ancient
ancestors and running away from a wooly mammoth. You want to be able
to keep sprinting and ignore any physical pain, at least until you
are safely back in your cave. That is where endorphins come in
handy; they help block out physical discomfort. Despite higher
endorphin levels, most people do not feel high after or get addicted
to exercise.
 When you
work out hard, your body needs extra
calories to repair
muscles, joints, and bones—tissues that you are using during
your workouts. Without enough
calories and building blocks, your tissues will weaken, and you
will end up with an injury.
Exercise is considered an addiction when it prevents normal
interactions at home or work. Just like any activity, people can be
consumed with exercising: the more they exercise, the more they need
to exercise. People with this problem may find it impossible to
stop training. Even though they become injured, and constantly
strive to increase the
intensity and
length of their workouts.
 How
much is too much? Exercise addiction may be your problem if it
pushes everything else in your life aside—family, friends, and other
responsibilities. Table below lists additional questions to see
whether you might be an exercise addict. Many times, exercise
addiction is a clue to deeper problems, such as obsessive-compulsive
disorder or
depression, and professional help may be needed.
Are You an Exercise Addict?
You might be an exercise addict
if you answer yes to any of the following questions:
1. Your favorite video is Buns
of Steel.
2. Your medicine cabinet
contains ibuprofen, naprosyn, Bengay, and horse liniment.
3. Twelve pairs of athletic
shoes line your closet floor.
4. The last time you missed
exercising was during the Carter administration.
5. You think its fun to be in
pain.
6. Your dogs are named Nike and
Adidas.
7. Your wedding was held at a
road race, and Gatoroid and Powerbars were served of the
reception.
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Your head is healthiest when you exercise. Regular
physical activity allows clearer thinking, reduces feeling of
depression, lessens anxiety, and can correct insomnia. For those
with mild to moderate depression, treatment with exercise is as
effective as antidepressant medications. All types of regular
exercise appear to provide these mental health benefits, and finding
an activity that you enjoy may be more important than achieving a
particular
heart rate during training.
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