Exercise Addiction: Is It Real or Just a Myth

April 22 2014

Exercise Addiction: Is It Real or Just a Myth?

Do you feel like you must visit the gym every other day for an intense high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workout? And when you’re at the gym, do you push your body to its physical limits? If you answered yes to these questions, you could be addicted to exercise — at least that’s what some researchers suggest.

Exercise Addiction Is Real

So, is exercise addiction a myth or a real condition? It’s still too early to make any definitive statements, but a recent study performed by a group of French researchers at suggests that it is a real condition.

Researchers say that while exercise addiction only affects a small group of people, it’s a real condition with very real consequences. Pushing yourself too hard in your physical fitness regimen can lead to a wide range of problems, including the following injuries:

• Rotator cuff tear
• Sprained ankle
• Shin splint
• Wrist sprain
• Tendinitis
• Pulled muscle
• Muscle cramps and/or spasms

Pushing yourself too hard can leave your body vulnerable to a wide range of injuries, only a few of which are listed above. The golden rule of HIIT is to allow a minimum of 48 hours rest between workout sessions for your muscles to heal and repair themselves. Hitting the weights day after day without allowing your body ample time to heal increases the risk of serious muscle tears and injury.

What Causes Exercise Addiction?

One theory regarding the cause of exercise addiction is the increased production of endorphines from working out. Whether your’e running or hitting the weights at the gym, you’ll get something known as a “runner’s high,” which is basically the production, and release, of natural chemicals linked to happiness and pain relief — endorphines.

“Whether it’s sex, nicotine, heroin, or exercise, something takes the label of addiction when it becomes self-injurious, detrimental, or followed by destructive consequences," says psychology consultant Greg Chertok.

Are You Addicted To Exercise?

Although exercise addiction is a real condition — at least that’s what researchers are suggesting — it most likely only affects a very small percentage of the population. Unless your workout routine is interfering with your personal and/or professional life, or if it’s placing you at risk for injury, you can continue to exercise without fear of being addicted.

The bottom line is that you can still enjoy a rigorous workout routine without labeling yourself as an “addict,” so long as you listen to your body and rest when needed.