Exercise addiction – defined as an unhealthy obsession with working out – often goes hand-in-hand with eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia. And the condition is on the rise, with an increasing number of people seeking help.
Susan Ringwood, chief executive of eating disorders charity B-eat, says she is hearing from and women whose love affair with the gym has become out of control and claims that because people are trying to live healthier lifestyles, it’s harder to notice if someone has a problem. “If someone was missing meals it would be easier to notice, but seeing someone go to the gym every day is unlikely to set suspicions blazing.”
How much is too much?
What constitutes “excessive” exercise varies from person to person, but B-eat’s experience with sufferers shows that many will share the same symptoms. “Someone who has a very rigid approach to exercise, and gets extremely anxious if they can’t work out when they want to, may be in danger of having a problem,” says Susan. Trying to exercise with an illness or injury could be another sign they are taking things too far, she added.
Other indications that someone is suffering from exercise addiction include putting their workouts before everything else in their life and defying professional advice in order to exercise . “If someone who usually does a lot of group classes suddenly begins running on their own instead, or drastically changes their fitness habits in other ways in order to work out alone, this could also indicate a problem.”
Vicky Mahony, a personal trainer for 12 years, has seen many clients with exercise addiction linked to eating disorders. She said: “It’s always women, and they come to me with set ideas about how often they want to train, and what they want to do. It takes a long time to build up the trust, but when I do, I always try and help them understand the balance between a good diet and optimum exercise.”
What are the dangers?
B-eat often sees women as young as 16 who have developed osteoporosis from not eating enough and exercising too much. Susan added that if someone is underweight their physical health is already compromised and exercising excessively will only make that worse. “As well as risking bone damage they are also in danger of damaging vital organs like the heart and lungs. So even though exercise addiction is classified as a psychological condition, the physical consequences are very apparent.”
Case study
Rachel Walker is 24 and said that after three years of battling exercise addiction, she is now on the road to recovery. This is her story.
“I used to row competitively and have always been a gym user, but a few years ago it started to get out of hand. I just stopped feeling hungry, so stopped eating, and began working out every day, using CV machines until I had burned 1,000 calories. I was eating less than 400 a day.
I lost three stone in three months and was forced to leave university. Once back at home, things got worse. Every day I would go to my local council-run gym and use the treadmill for an hour, followed by the cross-trainer for half an hour, and then would go for a long walk with my dog. At this point, I would eat porridge oats with water for breakfast, half a bowl of soup for lunch and a piece of apple at dinner time. At 5ft 8, I weighed about six stone, but still believed I was fat.
I never received a programme at the gym and no one there ever voiced any concerns about what I was doing. The only comments I got from other gym users were from women saying they wished they were as slim as me, which just spurred me on.
I used to shake when I was exercising, but after a while I stopped noticing how fatigued I was. And I did notice people looking at me in the gym – but assumed they were looking because I was fat. If an instructor had approached me about what I was doing, I think I would have felt angry and embarrassed. I used to keep my workout kit in my car, and exercise in secret. I’d never tell my family or friends I was going to the gym.
I’ve been hospitalised twice, but finally feel like I’m beating it. I’ve been told not to exercise much now, because I’ve damaged my body so much. I’ve got a weak heart, and circulation problems that cause my left side to swell. I also have osteoporosis in my spine and pelvis, which is incurable.”
Do you have a problem? According to B-eat, if you can identify with the following, it may be time to seek help…
- Are you turning away from family and friends?
- Are you missing out on social activities in order to exercise?
- Do you exercise even when ill or injured?
- Are you exercising in secret?
- Do you feel anxious if you can’t exercise?
- Do you punish yourself if you don’t exercise?
Where to get help
The B-eat website – www.b-eat.co.uk – contains advice and information for anyone worried about themselves or others. They also have a helpline – 0845 634 1414.
See your GP if you think you may have a problem.
