Help and Advice relating to Eating Disorders
What is exercise addiction? Can exercise be a form of an eating disorder?
Physical activity can contribute significantly to physical and mental health and overall well-being if engaged in a moderate and mindful fashion. If and when exercise is excessive, rigid, compensatory and/or obligatory it becomes destructive mentally and physically and may be functioning as a purging symptom of an eating disorder. The presence of any of the characteristics listed below indicates that exercise may be part of a clinical disorder:
- Exercising even when you don’t feel well or have an injury
- Choosing to exercise alone rather than be with friends or family
- Regularly prioritizing exercise over other responsibilities or activities
- Experiencing feelings of guilt or anxiety if a workout is missed
- Physical activity ceases being fun and becomes obligatory
- Using exercise to compensate for certain food choices or behaviors (i.e. a concern that you will gain weight if you skip exercising for a day)
- Engaging in exercise to avoid emotional issues
- Exercising to the point of pain (i.e. “No pain, no gain”)