Article
How do I know if my exercise has become compulsive?
Exercise is praised so consistently that it can be the last place anyone thinks to look for a problem.
The short answer
Exercise may have become compulsive when it is driven by obligation rather than choice: you cannot rest without guilt, you move through injury or illness, and missing it changes how you feel about yourself or what you allow yourself to eat.
Signs worth noticing
- Rest days cause anxiety or guilt rather than relief.
- You exercise when sick, injured or exhausted.
- Movement is tied to repaying or earning food.
- You cancel time with people to keep the routine intact.
- Missing a session changes your opinion of yourself.
Why it is hard to talk about
Everyone around you may be applauding. Discipline looks like a virtue, and the more depleted you get, the more praise you can receive.
That is part of why women often stay in this pattern for years without naming it.
What help looks like
Counseling looks at what the movement is doing for you and what you fear happens if you stop. Alongside that, a physician should be involved if you have been exercising while unwell, injured or undernourished.
The aim is not to take movement away. It is to make it something you choose again.
Common questions
Is it wrong to enjoy exercise?
Not at all. The question is whether you are free to skip it.
Can this happen without an eating disorder?
Yes, and it can also be part of one. A professional evaluation is the way to know.
What if my doctor told me to exercise?
Then keep that conversation going with your doctor, and counseling can address the compulsion around it.
Learn more about counseling for eating disorders and body image with Lori, or browse all articles on eating, food and body image.
Written by Lori Rasmussen, LISW, a Licensed Independent Social Worker licensed in the State of Iowa and a Certified Spiritual Director. Lori counsels women and female students in Waterloo, Iowa and online across Iowa. Articles here are meant to help you understand what you may be experiencing; they are not a diagnosis and they do not take the place of care from a professional who knows your story.
Reaching out can be the first step.
You don't need to know exactly what to say, or have anything figured out, before you contact Lori.
Or email rasmussencounselingandsd@gmail.com