How Do You Know If You Have an Exercise Addiction?

Key Points

• Along with eating a healthy diet, exercise is a staple of a healthy lifestyle.
• There comes a point, though, when working out too much becomes unhealthy.
• A strict, repetitive workout routine that affects other aspects of your daily life could be an exercise addiction that can co-occur with eating disorders, making treatment a necessity.

Exercise improves men's sexual health, reduces stress and decreases the risk of certain diseases. However, excessive exercise can signify a behavioral addiction that often exists alongside an eating disorder.

Here, we'll look at how much exercise is too much, what constitutes an addiction, what that could mean for your health and how to treat it.

Can you be addicted to exercise?

Adults should aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise per day—potentially up to 60—as recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). Exercise is part of a balanced lifestyle, but too much of a good thing can be harmful.

Sometimes, a strict, repetitive workout routine or preoccupation with exercise can be a form of addiction.

Excessive exercise is not listed as an addiction in the 2022 edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) due to a lack of research. The manual does, however, cite the potential for an addiction to certain behaviors.

Therapists and addiction specialists acknowledge that it's possible to become addicted to exercise.

What is an addiction to exercise?

An addiction to exercise has adverse effects on people's health, behavior and mood, according to Seth Bolton, a London-based accredited therapist registered with the National Counselling Society at Addiction Advocates. It can cause withdrawal symptoms, impulses and a lack of control.

How can you differentiate between someone who exercises frequently, like a professional athlete, and someone with exercise dependence?

"Using exercise to cope with stress isn't inherently bad. However, someone with an exercise compulsion may become distressed, irritable or guilt-ridden if they don't exercise," said Jocelyn Moyet, L.M.H.C., a Florida-based therapist with Grow Therapy.

The two main forms of exercise addiction are primary and secondary.

Primary exercise addiction

Someone with a primary exercise addiction exercises for psychological gratification. It's the primary behavioral addiction and does not occur alongside another addiction, such as an eating disorder or substance abuse, Bolton said.

Secondary exercise addiction

Someone with secondary exercise addiction meets the criteria for exercise dependence but uses exercise to achieve weight loss or body composition changes. On top of this criteria, secondary exercise addiction is related to another disorder, such as an eating disorder.

Secondary exercise dependence is typically more severe.

What are the signs of an exercise addiction in men?

Gym culture embraces the idea that it's OK, even healthy, to spend copious hours working out. The benefits, such as exercises for stress or exercises for better sex, get promoted without much attention paid to what counts as overdoing it.

Exercise compulsion and exercise dependence are normalized in this environment, so it can be difficult to know whether working out too much is an addictive behavior or a healthy gym habit.

"Exercise addiction in men can be a result of societal expectations, the rise of social media and pressure amongst peers," Bolton said.

Typical exercise addiction symptoms include the following, according to Moyet:

• Increased tolerance for exercise
• Withdrawal symptoms
• Longer and more frequent exercise sessions than initially intended
• Lack of control over an over-exercise habit
• Excessive time spent exercising or an intense regimen
• Choosing exercise over important social, recreational or occupational activities
• Continuing to exercise despite recurrent physical injuries
• Exercising at inappropriate times

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Is too much exercise bad for men?

Too much of anything, even things usually associated with health and wellness, can become a problem. Where do you draw the line between just enough and too much exercise?

Physical problems

While exercise is often touted for its benefits, too much can cause adverse effects.

"Muscles require rest to function properly, and overuse can commonly cause injuries such as stress fractures, pulled muscles, back injuries and more," Bolton said. "Overexercise can also cause fatigue and low mood, low energy and a weakened immune system."

Too much exercise can harm physical health by causing severe weight loss, joint and muscle weakness, and sleep problems, Bolton added.

Mental health issues

Exercise causes a release of feel-good neurotransmitters. When someone gets addicted to working out and builds a tolerance, they might not experience the same rush of endorphins. They must work out even more and for longer periods to feel the same effects.

"[Excess exercise] becomes an increasing problem that involves a lack of control," Bolton said. "Men may not experience exercise addiction to lose weight but instead become addicted to the gym experience or wanting to change their body to the extent that daily activities and thoughts are consumed by exercise."

Like other addictions, exercise addiction can affect your day-to-day life and personal relationships.

Is exercise addiction a mental disorder?

An exercise addiction is classified as a behavioral addiction and disorder, Bolton said, indicating a mental disorder.

It's likely to co-occur alongside other addictions.

"Compulsive exercise may start out as healthy for someone in recovery, but it can quickly become a way that they trade one addiction for another," Moyet said.

In 13 out of 20 studies, evidence of increased rates of other mental disorders, such as eating disorders, depression and substance use, was higher for people at risk of exercise addiction than those who were not, a 2020 report suggested.

Is an exercise addiction a sign of an eating disorder?

Exercise addiction may be secondary to an eating disorder, a 2011 report indicated. While anyone is susceptible to developing compulsive exercise, having an eating disorder exacerbates the risk of developing exercise addiction, Moyet said.

Instead of either an eating disorder or an exercise addiction, the two can coexist. Excessive exercise may be a sign of male eating disorders.

"Exercise addiction occurs 3.5 times more often with an eating disorder than without," Moyet said. "In fact, 90 to 95 percent of college students with a diagnosed eating disorder have a gym membership, and 40 to 80 percent of anorexia nervosa patients are prone to excessive exercise."

What is the treatment for exercise addiction?

To overcome compulsive exercise, you have to go beyond exercise and get to the feelings and thoughts behind the behavior, according to Moyet. You must identify what's causing the issue rather than simply stop exercising so much.

"The most common form of treatment for exercise addiction is talk therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). This treatment teaches coping skills for cravings and disordered thinking, which is beneficial for the treatment of exercise addiction," Bolton said.

Working through the addiction can include the following, according to Moyet:

• Identify your exercise rules.
• Develop other coping strategies.
• Become aware of negative thoughts, like a fear of weight gain.

Be intentional about social media use. Ensure your social media consumption promotes positive body image and a healthy relationship with working out.

The bottom line

Exercise addiction goes beyond frequent exercise and can affect someone's mental and physical health. Treatment for exercise addiction includes therapy and treating the co-occurring addiction, if one is present.

If your relationship with exercise or exercise habits have changed, contact a therapist or other medical professional for help.