Addicted to Exercise

Working out is one of the best ways to avoid the health risks associated with a sedentary lifestyle, but is there such a thing as too much exercise?

If you exercise seven days a week, you might be an exercise addict. You would need to look carefully at what your motivation is for exercising.

I knew I was an exercise addict because if I didn’t get up at a certain time of day to get at least 12 miles in, it literally ruined my day,” Gustin says.

Motivation turned into compulsion for Gustin. An athlete for most of her life, Gustin became obsessed with exercising to lose weight.

For years, Gustin sacrificed work and being with friends and family to exercise. Her addiction and the eating disorder that followed cost her a pregnancy and almost her life!

It’s very important for people to realize that over-exercising causes medical complications, and if you are doing it for a very long time you can even die from it.

Experts say someone may be addicted to exercise if they exercise more than five times a week and for more than one hour at a time. Other signs of addiction include calculating exercise time based on food intake, feeling guilty when missing a workout, and exercising when sick or hurt.

I don’t have to go to the gym seven days a week anymore, and that’s OK,” says Gustin, who worked out her issues at a treatment center.