Exercise Addiction Essay -- Exercise Dependence

Exercise is often thought of in a positive light. It is common belief in todays 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 persons mood, boost energy, combat a variety of health conditions and diseases, levy 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 any thing other than penny-pinching? Certainly, something with so many benefits cant 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 ar increasingly more athletes that are pushing themselves so securely to the point they are making themselves sick. Whatever happened to exercising for simple joy, or competing because of a lo ve for sport? The motivations behind an individuals 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 elect sport, but it may not necessarily mean that they are addicted. It is not nearly as likely to see such behaviours in accommodate 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 doorway and be educated on the topic. If this is achieved, the in cidence of exercise addiction should decrease, and eventually become just a shadow of its current state. Works Citedhttp//www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1751359/http//drugabuse.gov/scienceofaddiction/brain.htmlhttp//www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32573781/ns/health-fitness/t/runners-high-can-turn-real-addiction/.Ttg0LPLTpMYhttp//www.anorexiaathletica.com/Carroll, D., S. Rodgers, I. Cockerill, and D. Bamber. symptomatic Criteria for Exercise Dependence in Women. National Centre for Biotechnology Information. British Journal of Sports Medicine, Oct. 2003. Web. 4 Dec. 2011. .