Exercise Addiction Essay -- Exercise Dependence

Exercise is often thought of in a positive light. It is common belief in today’s society that a healthy diet and a regular exercise routine will lead to a long, healthy life. And in the simplest sense of the word, it will. It has been a tried and true method to control and lose weight, lift a person’s mood, boost energy, combat a variety of health conditions and diseases, promote better sleep patterns, and even increase libido. (Mayo Clinic, July 23, 2011). So with all of these being possible and probable benefits of working out, why would it possibly be anything other than good? Certainly, something with so many benefits can’t be a bad thing? However, we may overlook the fact that it is like any good thing; in excess it can become dangerous very quickly. In society, there are increasingly more athletes that are pushing themselves so hard to the point they are making themselves sick. Whatever happened to exercising for simple joy, or competing becau se of a love for sport? The motivations behind an individual’s exercise habits are directly related to whether they develop an addiction. There is even a term for this over exercising phenomenon: Exercise Addiction, or Exercise Dependence. Exercise dependence is a craving that a person would experience, manifesting itself in the form of compulsiveness in relation to exercise behaviour. It can show in physiological symptoms, such as withdrawal, or psychological signs like anxiety and depression. (Hausenblaus, Downs. 2000). Some of these psychological symptoms can be observed in anyone who is competitive and/or elite in their chosen sport, but it may not necessarily mean that they are â€Å"addicted†. It is not nearly as likely to see such behaviours in moderate exe... ...iate control that they are more at risk for addiction. Research still needs to clarify many facets of this affliction, so that the general public can access and be educated on the topic. If this is achieved, the incidence of exercise addiction should decrease, and eventually become just a shadow of its current state. Works Cited http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1751359/ http://drugabuse.gov/scienceofaddiction/brain.html http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32573781/ns/health-fitness/t/runners-high-can-turn-real-addiction/#.Ttg0LPLTpMY http://www.anorexiaathletica.com/ Carroll, D., S. Rodgers, I. Cockerill, and D. Bamber. "Diagnostic Criteria for Exercise Dependence in Women." National Centre for Biotechnology Information. British Journal of Sports Medicine, Oct. 2003. Web. 4 Dec. 2011. .