Can't imagine life without a fitness club? Would you rather miss a friend's birthday or a romantic date than give up training? Then it's time for you to see a psychologist! Perhaps your diagnosis is “dependence on physical exercise».
Everything is good in moderation! More recently, Swedish scientists have discovered a new psychological disorder associated with a mania for a healthy lifestyle, when a person carefully controls everything he eats, goes to bed at a certain hour, regularly weighs himself and measures his body parameters. Exercise addiction is from the same series. What's dangerous about this? Daily activities sports improve the body’s condition, prevent the risk of diabetes, high level cholesterol and hypertension. Logically, it is worth doubling or tripling these loads to get optimal results. But that's not true. Two hours of exhausting running every day will not make you four times healthier. Over-indulgence in sports leads to injury, exhaustion, depression and even suicide. During exercise, the adrenal glands produce cortisol, a stress hormone. And if exhausting workouts are also combined with a low-calorie diet, such a duet can lead to fainting right in the gym.
Fitness freaks are often so busy with their workouts that they lose their jobs, their loved ones, and neglect their children.
Risk group
Most often people who become dependent on physical activity are:
restless and withdrawn people. Introverts who do not like to be the center of attention;
individuals seeking maximum control over their lives;
perfectionists. In the pursuit of perfection, a person goes to extremes and can no longer cope with himself;
people with complexes: women obsessed with the idea of losing weight, and men seeking to build muscle.
Symptoms of fitness addiction
Ordinary people build their sports schedule around life, but fitness enthusiasts, on the contrary, build their lives around this schedule.
Addicts can exercise even at the most inopportune times. For example, they go for a run in the rain or go for a cardio workout with a fever. Even after being injured, they not only do not stop training, but also do not reduce the load.
For a true sports fan, missing another workout is real tragedy. The person experiences sensations somewhat reminiscent of withdrawal. He develops depression, insomnia, loss of appetite, nervous irritability, isolation and aggression.
Soul or body
Scientists have long been investigating the causes of exercise addiction. Is it a physiological or psychological phenomenon? Modern research has shown that certain parts of the brain responsible for addiction to drugs, alcohol and gambling react in a similar way to the lack of physical activity in those who are “sick” of sports. A team of doctors from Oregon Health and Life Sciences University studied the brain activity of mice that were given an exercise wheel after six days of vigorous exercise. All mammals deprived of physical activity showed increased level activity in 16 out of 25 brain regions. It is these departments that are responsible for the development of the above-mentioned attachments. According to researchers, a similar reaction occurs in humans. That is, these results give reason to believe that this is a problem of a physical rather than psychological nature.
Sport is a drug of joy
Physical activity is thought to increase levels of chemicals that help elevate your mood. Previously, scientists believed that endorphins, the hormones of happiness, had this effect. Recently this hypothesis has been called into question. In an experiment, one group of participants was given a drug before exercise that binds to endorphins, blocking their action. The second group did not receive it. After the lesson, the level of endorphins in the subjects from the first group actually remained at the same level, while in the second group it increased. But the mood was equally elevated for all participants in the experiment. It turns out that the reason for joy is not endorphins. Or not only in them. The researchers concluded that perhaps positive attitude After training, another hormone responds - serotonin. Experiments have confirmed that after moderate physical activity the concentration of this substance increases. Many modern antidepressants use serotonin. That is, physical education has an effect similar to the effect of antidepressants.
Prevent and neutralize addiction
To prevent dependency from occurring:
eliminate excessive daily exercise;
change your training program more often;
don't forget about vacation fresh air;
Focus on social fitness activities, such as dancing or stress-relieving yoga and stretching. You can try martial arts, one of the components of which is relaxation and an attitude towards a positive perception of the world.
Methods to combat fitness addiction
Start by recognizing that addiction exists. The person thinks that everything is under control, but in fact, in the end the problems get worse.
Contact a psychologist.
Find fellow sufferers on the Internet. Surely among them there are those who have overcome the “disease”. Listen to their recommendations!
Evgeny Lykov, 39 years old:
“I owe my passion for fitness to my school history course, which revealed to me the Hellenic values proclaimed by ancient philosophers, participants Olympic Games: “Faster, higher, stronger...”, “A healthy mind in a healthy body.” As a result, by the end of school, I could easily do pull-ups on the bar 30 times and, without much stress, exceeded any school standards for physical education. After school, he continued to actively train at a military school. My friends and I re-took photographs of athletes from Western magazines so that we would have motivation to further improve our bodies. We can't count how many times we've watched Rambo and Terminator. Later in Moscow it became possible to go to good clubs with modern simulators - that’s when I really got involved! A missed workout causes me moral discomfort, a week of idleness due to a cold causes me to suffer physical level. Fitness addict?! I don’t regret it at all!”
Expert opinion:
Elena Lobacheva, psychologist
“If the gym pulls you like a magnet, making you forget a lot of important things, try to remember under what life circumstances you found yourself here for the first time. Annoyed by your own reflection in the mirror? Did you want to escape from work, everyday or love problems? Would you like to treat yourself to a currently fashionable pastime? The answer to this question will be the key to your “recovery”. After all, the way out of a problematic situation is usually located in the same place as the entrance.”
Olga Ponurina, personal instructor of an elite network of Parisian clubs, nutritionist
“During physical activity, many biochemical reactions actually occur in the body, leading to shifts at the hormonal level. For example, hormone production good mood- serotonin. One of its actions is the mobilization of body functions, which gives a surge of strength, lightness and joy. Hormonal surges naturally are replaced by recessions, and as a result - a bad mood, a state of weakness. A person is intuitively drawn to the gym where he felt better. This is how addiction to physical activity arises. In order not to fall into such a state, it is best to avoid overly intense and frequent training and alternate the load with proper rest.”
Sports and fitness are an integral part of the life of a modern person. Sports activities build character, instill teamwork skills, and are generally good for health. Regular physical activity
strengthening cardiovascular system, reduce the risk of osteoporosis and depression and even prolong life.
Masha Gavrosh
amateur runnerEvery time I miss a workout, I am tormented by a feeling of guilt and inferiority. I'm starting to think I'm weak-willed. These pangs of conscience are so strong that it’s easier for me to go to training than to torment myself like this. It seems that without exercise I am worthless. Sport is what allows me to be different from others. And when I forget about training, it seems to me that I lose this feature and cease to be a superman.
People who are passionate about fitness or sports constantly follow their rivals on social networks, compare their successes with their own, and this is not beneficial. There is always someone who has run a marathon or covered a distance faster. This causes envy or feelings of inferiority.
Victoria Kaylin
psychologistIf in real life Not everything is going smoothly for a person; likes become a source of pleasure. Social isolation, lack of friends, poor relationships with family lead to addiction virtual world, which literally sucks you in, because it provides all the necessary conditions in the form of approval, praise and a temporary increase in self-esteem.
3. Harm to social and personal life
Lenny Sadykov
strives to become a Ph.D. in athleticsI was the head of the youth affairs department of my town, then I was demoted to a school director, and in October I was transferred to a simple teacher: more and more time was required for sports, the authorities made comments. I decided that I needed to be able to leave on time. But my running results are growing! I’m getting an education as a physical education teacher and building a house in the suburbs to make a farm there like the Kipchoges or the Ingebrigtsens. This is a diagnosis...
A sports addict can easily cancel a work meeting, forego a get-together with friends, or sacrifice a family dinner just because he needs to exercise. Sometimes this leads to layoffs, changes in social circles, and problems in family life.
Every self-respecting man in one way or another tries to keep his body in shape - he plays sports at home or, if he has time, goes to gym. We have already said more than once that the main thing in this matter is not to overdo it, although we welcome great zeal and desire for success. But today the habit of going to workouts has begun to take on a dangerous trend. Already in 2012, 0.5% of the world's population became addicted to going to the gym. We think that this figure has now increased several times. We all need to know the signs of incipient addiction in order to prevent it in time and not let it destroy us.
How to know if you are addicted
The symptoms of addiction, according to professor of sports and psychology Clive Jones, are quite obvious - they are not difficult to recognize. The first and main sign is the obvious anxiety that you experience when you can’t get to the gym for a long time. Also prevalent is irritability, an inability to consider the importance of restoring the body after a series of grueling workouts. Sports activities come to the fore, completely controlling the emotions, behavior and thinking of the addicted athlete. This can also lead to big conflicts with loved ones, since an obsession with physical activity puts it in priority over family, personal life or work.
As in the relationship between a drug addict and a prohibited substance, an athlete develops tolerance for the gym. That is, each time, in order to achieve complete satisfaction from the workout, the load has to be increased. This is normal practice in sports in general, but you shouldn’t go too far. And reducing the load can cause withdrawal syndrome, which will lead to great discomfort, trembling in the whole body or some parts of it (can be compared to withdrawal symptoms), and changes. Therefore, when starting to exercise in the gym, remember these symptoms in order to stop them at the first stage.
Psychological and chemical effects
If women have a desire for ideal body can cause a disorder such as anorexia, men often develop dysmorphia. This is a mental illness that is caused by excessive concern about not meeting the standards of a beautiful male body in society. A prime example of what this does to people is bodybuilding. According to Dr. Jones, as a rule, addiction to sports can be associated with low self-esteem, one's body, and also lack of self-confidence.
Another reason for addiction developing in a person is chemicals. As you know, when playing sports, the body produces endorphins, which helps a person feel much happier. Plus, it helps to cope with stress, but when there is too much training, the trainee becomes dependent not only on them, but also on his happiness hormone, which he needs more and more, like a drug addict.
What addiction does to your body
Australian professor Aaron Coates says it is difficult to determine how much time a person needs to spend in the gym before they can be considered addicted. This number will be individual for everyone, and a greater tendency towards it is manifested in those who do endurance exercises. It is especially dangerous, even from a health point of view, to exercise every day without giving yourself proper rest. Also at risk of addiction are men who undertake heavy physical activity but do not combine it with diet and proper recovery.
The consequences of sports addiction may be as follows. Firstly, due to inadequate rest, which is almost non-existent, joints, bones and ligaments suffer, which at one point may not withstand. Secondly, in such extreme conditions the metabolism in the body may change, which is also not very good for you. There is also a high risk of hormonal imbalance, due to which hormones will no longer enter the body in the usual way and in the required quantities, which will lead to a decrease in testosterone levels and an increase in cortisol and estrogen. The latter, by the way, can cause your transformation into a female one. In addition, your immune system suffers - you will get sick more often and have a harder time enduring even the most common cold. Yes and loss muscle mass, which you are so eager to gain, will not make you happy.
How to fix it
Of course, we are not talking about any magic pills, but if you follow some simple rules, it will help you. First, your carbohydrate intake must become adequate. This is the most accessible source of physical energy. Despite the fact that today one of the main trends in fitness is low-carb, you should not forget about them, leaving their usual portion in your diet.
The second thing you must do is change your thinking and behavior. This is where the fight against possible or already obvious addiction begins. To prove to yourself that this is not so, you must completely forget the way to the gym for a couple of weeks. And if you are going on vacation and are looking for a hotel where the hall will be located, stop doing this. It is this behavior that betrays your addiction.
It is also important to remember that, besides sports, there are many other things that can lift your mood and overcome your stress. In addition, it is important to make sure that your good your mood does not depend only on how well you pumped up your abs today or how much you pressed your chest this time.
And one more thing you need to remember is the purpose for which you go to the gym. Naturally, many of us go there to keep our bodies in shape or get into shape. But we must set realistic goals that do not go beyond the limits, because of which we do not have to spend every day in the gym, striving for an unattainable ideal. Just need to remember that beautiful body doesn't always mean pumped up. It's time for us to reconsider these stereotypes.
Unable to stop, control their reason, act rationally, correctly.
There is an unhealthy addiction, developing into mania, for food, medicine, work, sex, shopping.
Dependence on physical activity is highlighted separately: how addiction arises is discussed in the article.
It's hard to believe that excessive addiction to healthy image life can turn into an obsessive activity that is harmful to health.
How does sports addiction occur?
From childhood, parents try to introduce their beloved child to sports. Some send their babies to sports sections, other families go for walks, play badminton, work out on exercise machines, and go skiing, biking, and skating on weekends.
As an adult, everyone chooses how much time to devote to physical activity. To maintain health, it is enough to lead an active lifestyle, walk, and do morning exercises.
For many, such a list is not enough to achieve physical perfection - and life changes dramatically.
Having determined their own inferiority, fragile boys and plump girls head to the gym. First, they master the exercise equipment, go jogging, and do exercises, taking into account the trainer’s recommendations.
Having seen the long-awaited changes, they suddenly become obsessed with the idea of becoming an ideal in the eyes of others.
Properly structured training is being replaced by grueling exercises. The loads are gradually increased and exercises are added.
Thoughts swarm around fitness, your own figure and next lesson, although the previous one has not yet ended. There is a dependence on physical activity.
Hyperinvolvement in sports, fitness, and home workouts leads to excessive production of cortisol by the adrenal glands. The hormone causes stress.
If a low-calorie diet is additionally used, the failed athlete may suddenly lose consciousness or faint.
Exercise and fitness addiction are not easily diagnosed, but psychologists highlight specific signs worthy of close attention:
- the desire to constantly increase physical activity to achieve the planned results;
- a negative attitude towards everything that prevents you from regularly doing fitness and exercises at home;
- ignoring the instructions of a doctor advising to reduce exercise due to health hazards;
- increasing training time;
- neglecting important events in the name of studying the chosen program.
With the development of a sports addiction, the addict spends a long time looking at photographs of his favorite idols in magazines and on Internet portals, constantly looking for fresh information about them, and wants to be equal in everything.
He doesn’t think about why the athlete pumping up his muscles. own body for show, and how many years he went to this result.
Obsession takes over, reinforced by thoughts that one’s own results are still very insignificant. And they really begin to slow down, because the body is accustomed to the stress.
It remains to increase them, despite the deterioration in health, constant concern, and dissatisfaction.
At a certain stage, addiction to sports is compared to a drug addiction. When training is present daily, a person experiences a feeling of satisfaction.
As soon as you stop them for a day, discomfort begins, reminiscent of withdrawal. Anxiety, panic, and apathy are added. I want to drop everything, run to the gym, and devote myself to my favorite exercise machine.
Conversations with others do not give the desired impact. In addition to the desire to constantly play sports, there is a fear for the condition of one’s own body.
It seems to the addict that as soon as he stops exercising, the muscles will disappear, the waist will spread out, the body will become shapeless, and extra pounds. Many reach nervous breakdowns and physical exhaustion.
Withdrawal syndrome
A lot of diseases develop against the background of improperly designed training. Health is not improving, but is constantly deteriorating.
Breathing problems appear, the heart can’t stand it, and the muscles get tired. We should add exhaustion here. nervous system, constant brain overload.
Immediate lifestyle changes are required. Withdrawal syndrome appears when the amount of exercise decreases or is absent. It manifests itself like a withdrawal syndrome.
Its signs:
- insomnia;
- groundless irritation;
- excessive excitability;
- depression;
- imbalance;
- ideational immobility.
To eliminate the withdrawal syndrome, a return to the athlete’s usual volume of activities or an increase in loads is required to stop withdrawal symptoms.
Sport is beneficial as long as it improves health.
When psychological and physical changes appear, leading to depression, disappointment, and constant dissatisfaction, we have to admit the presence of dependence on sports activities.
Conclusion
The addicted athlete does not experience pleasure. He lives in constant tension, forgetting that the body needs recovery between workouts.
Reserves are quickly depleted, so you should carefully reconsider your own behavior.
If it is impossible to adjust the course of training with a coach, you will have to contact a psychologist who deals with sports addictions.
Video: Exercise addiction: symptoms, consequences, treatment
We often have to observe how our friends, in attempts to reset overweight and purchase beautiful shapes begin to cross the boundaries of reason, confining their entire existence to diets and regular classes sports. How to recognize the problem and solve it?
Sports addiction, or, in other words, exercise addiction, most often occurs in fairly young people, although there are exceptions. It all starts trivially - with the desire to improve your body. But now they’re banal morning jogging or traditional exercise gradually turns into regular daily multi-hour workouts in a fitness club, and the loads are constantly increasing, all the interests of such a person come down exclusively to discussing nutrition systems and new fitness trends
IN modern science When it comes to sports, it is customary to distinguish between sports for health (what was previously called physical culture) and sports highest achievements(professional). In addition, there are so-called extreme sports, which are gaining more and more popularity these days. Undoubtedly physical activity and sports improve the quality of life. It is paradoxical that, despite the enormous benefits of sport, there is an informal consensus among experts that physical activity can also be harmful.
In modern society, various addictions, which in professional language are called addictions, are becoming increasingly widespread. There are chemical addiction (dependence on tobacco, alcohol, drugs and pharmacological substances) and non-chemical addiction (behavioral addiction), which includes: Internet addiction, gambling (gambling addiction), workaholism, urgency addiction, relationship addiction, sexual addiction, love addiction. addiction, addiction to spending money or shopping (compulsive shopping), addiction to avoidance.
In recent years, the interest of researchers has been aroused by a special form of addictive behavior, which belongs to non-chemical forms of addiction - sports addiction (dependence on physical exercise). Exercise addiction is a condition in which a person engages in excessive exercise
In modern sports science, it is customary to distinguish between sports for health (what was previously called physical culture) and sports of the highest achievements (professional). In addition, there are so-called extreme sports, which are gaining more and more popularity these days. It is the sport of the highest achievements and extreme sport carry the greatest addictive potential.
In recent decades, publications on exercise addiction have appeared in Western literature.
