Written By: Tania Tarafdar | Published : October 6, 2017 12:19 PM IST
Yes, sweating it out is definitely a part of a healthy lifestyle but just like any other thing; too much of exercise is also bad. So if you are sucked into a cycle of intense exercise, it could signal an unhealthy exercise addiction. Does your life revolve around exercise? Answer these few questions to find out. If you find yourself answering yes in any of these questions, it is the time that you take some professional help.
1. Are you scared of gaining weight?
There are two types of exercise addiction. Primary exercise addiction where the addiction is of exercise only and secondary exercise addiction where you engage in excessive exercise that is secondary to a body image issue. So if weight loss or weight gain is the main motive of your exercise, then it is a red flag that you are at a risk of secondary exercise addiction.
2. Do you plan your life around exercise?
There s nothing wrong in exercising everyday despite your busy schedule but if you are skipping your lunch breaks and meetings and planning your vacations around your workout, there is a problem. Remember exercising more than 45 minutes in a day isn t going to provide you with any extra benefits. You must have a healthy balance of everything in your life instead of overdoing anything. Here are 8 signs of anorexia athletica-- an obsession with excessive exercise.
3. Does skipping just one workout completely ruin your mood?
It is one thing to feel guilty if you skip your workout but getting actual withdrawal symptoms can be a sign of exercise addiction. For example, while your friends might just say they will catch up at the gym tomorrow, you might actually get extremely agitated. You may find a hard time focusing and even experience some amount of stress if you are an exercise addict.
4. Are all your friends fitness enthusiasts?
When you are an exercise addict, everything in your life revolves around it. So if you are following only fitness experts on Instagram and if all your friends are fitness buffs, you are surely an exercise addict. While you previously liked hanging out with friends who spoke about music and sports now you prefer talking only about the weights and the protein.
5. Do you exercise even if you have an injury?
If you have just had an injury, you would ideally want to rest for a few days before you start hitting the gym again. But if you still want to exercise through the pain, you are an exercise addict. Here's what you should not do when injured.
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