Addicted to Exercise

In a previous post, I talked about the difference between training and exercise, and challenged everyone to hone in on their fitness aspirations. I suggested stepping away from the mindless exercise habits that many people have and create a plan that help you achieve your goals. But today, I want to discuss what to do when you have an addiction to exercise. We talk so much about getting people to invest in their health, but what about people whose exercise cuts into other aspects of their life?

First, it’s important to establish the difference between people whose training takes up a large volume of their day and people who are addicted to exercise. The former, though they may train constantly and do physical activity, has a plan and a method of sticking to it. When they are finished with everything for the day; they can clear their mind and focus on other things such as family, work, and a social life, because they have achieved their goal for THAT DAY.

On the other hand, folks who have no training plan, but are addicted to exercise are constantly looking for ways to feed their addiction. Since they have no plan to nudge them towards their goal, the exercise they are doing isn’t as efficient as it could be. A training plan is efficient, but a 1 minute made up plan before you step on the treadmill isn’t. They go to yoga for warm up, lift weights, and then do footrace training to cool down. They don’t have that feeling of satisfaction after a workout, so they go to the gym multiple times a day. They don’t see their physical activity as one facet of a long term fitness goal, they just want an adrenaline rush.

Of course, I’m not doggin’ on exercise; in fact, I do it sometimes, too. But I’ve also been addicted to exercise. Back in high school, I remember throwing fits when my dad wouldn’t drive me to the Y. But when I look back on all those workout sessions, I often think about how little I actually improved at what I was doing. I didn’t get faster and I sure as heck didn’t get stronger. I may have been the best conditioned athlete on every team I played on, but I wasn’t improving as an athlete.

So, if you find yourself sitting at the dinner table with your mind in the gym, think about what you’ve done to set yourself up for success. If you don’t have a plan, it’s likely that you don’t have a long term goal. Nobody approaches their true goals with apathy.

 

Savannah Steamer, Intern