When Exercise Becomes a Compulsion: Recognizing the Signs of compulsive Exercise

Exercise is often celebrated as one of the cornerstones of a healthy lifestyle. It boosts our mood, helps manage stress, and keeps our bodies strong. But for some, exercise can shift from a healthy habit to something much more consuming—a compulsion that feels impossible to control.

Compulsive exercise, or exercise addiction, is when the urge to work out becomes overwhelming and unrelenting, even when it starts to negatively affect physical health and emotional well-being. What may begin as a simple desire to stay fit or improve mood can spiral into a behavior that takes over. Understanding the signs of compulsive exercise and recognizing when exercise moves from being beneficial to harmful is crucial for both individuals and loved ones.

What Is Compulsive Exercise?

Compulsive exercise can be described as an intense and often uncontrollable need to be physically active, even when it's causing harm or distress. It’s more than just a regular workout routine—it’s a pattern of exercise driven by compulsion and dependence. You may have heard terms like “exercise addiction” or “exercise dependence,” and they all point to the same core issue: an overwhelming need to exercise, even at the expense of health, relationships, or happiness. At Columbus Park, we often use the term "driven exercise" to describe this behavior, as it reflects the intense push to keep exercising, no matter the consequences.

It’s estimated that up to 85% of people with eating disorders engage in compulsive exercise, though it’s important to note that compulsive exercise can also exist without any eating disorder present. The primary motivations behind this behavior can range from controlling weight and body shape to using exercise as a way to manage or avoid negative emotions. For many, the endorphin rush, often referred to as the “runner’s high,” reinforces the compulsion, making it even harder to stop. Over time, the drive to exercise can become rigid and unyielding, often without the person truly enjoying the activity.

Is COmpulsive exercise and Addiction?

While we don’t often think of compulsive exercise as an addiction, there are several interesting parallels between the two. When looking at compulsive exercise through the lens of addiction, we see several key patterns that are common in all addictive behaviors.

Here are six features to watch for:

1. Salience: Exercise becomes the most important part of your life, overshadowing everything else.

2. Conflict: Exercise leads to tension in your relationships, as it takes priority over social events or time with loved ones.

3. Euphoria: You experience a "high" or sense of euphoria from working out.

4. Tolerance: You need to exercise more and more to achieve the same satisfying effect.

5. Withdrawal: You feel anxious, irritable, or upset when you can’t exercise.

6. Relapse: If you try to cut back or stop, you return to extreme exercise patterns.

How to Spot Compulsive Exercise

It can be tricky to recognize when your exercise habits might be veering into compulsive territory, since the amount of exercise alone isn’t enough to tell the full story. It’s important to consider the emotional, physical, and social impact of the behavior. Compulsive exercise isn’t a formal mental health diagnosis, and because there’s no clear-cut measure for it, it’s hard to say how common it really is. However, there are some clear signs that exercise might be becoming a problem. Here are a few to keep in mind:

- Exercising excessively, like hitting the gym multiple times a day or doing back-to-back fitness classes.

- Exercising just to burn off calories after eating, or feeling the need to work out to "earn" your food.

- Using exercise as the main way to cope with emotions like stress, anxiety, or sadness.

- Continuing to exercise even when you're injured or sick.

- Refusing to skip a workout, even if it means missing important events like family gatherings or working out during dangerous weather conditions.

- Feeling anxious, irritable, or upset when you can’t exercise.

- Exercising in secret or hiding the true extent of your workout routine from others.

- Feeling like you can never be fit enough, strong enough, or fast enough, no matter how much you push yourself.

If any of these sound familiar, it might be worth considering whether your exercise habits are becoming problematic. One way to evaluate your relationship with exercise is by taking the Compulsive Exercise Test (CET), developed by experts in the field. This quick questionnaire can help you reflect on your habits and determine if they’re crossing into a compulsive space.

When to Reach Out for Help

If you’re worried about your own exercise habits or the exercise patterns of someone close to you, remember that help is available. At Columbus Park, we specialize in providing support for people struggling with compulsive exercise and related behaviors. If you or someone you know needs guidance, don't hesitate to reach out to our team.

References:

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Lichtenstein MB, Hinze CJ, Emborg B, Thomsen F, Hemmingsen SD. Compulsive exercise: links, risks and challenges faced. Psychol Res Behav Manag. 2017;10:85-95. Published 2017 Mar 30. doi:10.2147/PRBM.S113093

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