Exercise Junky?

Exercise helps you stay healthy and fit, but can you exercise too much? Some experts think so and say that exercising too much can turn into an addiction. In fact, some researchers say compulsive exercisers are addicted to endorphins, the natural hormones released during exercise that make you feel good. At this time, the medical community doesn’t recognize “exercise dependence” as a clinical disorder. However, some researchers have proposed that it be accepted as an independent disorder with the following symptom:

 

Symptoms

 

A preoccupation with exercise that causes significant problems physically, socially, or at work.

Physical symptoms of withdrawal, like mood swings, irritability, and sleeping problems, if you don’t exercise.

 

A preoccupation with exercise that doesn’t occur with another medical problem, like an eating disorder.

Other experts are skeptical this condition exists by itself. Some acknowledge that it could happen as a symptom of another medical problem, like an eating disorder. At this time, there is no agreement on the nature of this problem, and more research is needed.