Exercise Addiction
Is this really a bad thing?
If everyone is so overweight, why would we worry about this?
Why would we ever worry about it? With all those stories like David Goggin’s out there, we should invite the obsession, pain, and torture, right?
The downside isn’t clearly respected. Your story isn’t as simple as David Goggins, nor anyone else for that matter..
The thing you will hear most about is the pain and glory. Not the boring, safe, and tedious.
Here’s what you didn’t here from stories like that:
“So then I was injured and I couldn’t go on.”
“This became too much, and it caused more mental and physical issues in the end.”
But here’s the thing – those stories actually do exist – no one is writing a book or making a social media post about it.
There is also the story of:
“So I followed the plan and performed well because I felt rested”
“This training routine made me feel great every day to crush my job and sport pain free.”
These stories also exist but that’s extremely boring, so you probably don’t want to hear that. You’re stuck on the No Pain No Gain belief.
The reason we are captivated is because “I felt I couldn’t, but I did it,” is super inspiring, which you should respect, listen, and learn from.
I f’ing love underdog stories. That’s who I always saw myself as, and I’m willing to bet you did too. So, we think, ‘Let’s follow in those footsteps.’
However, I was, just like you, caught up in the belief that every day, all efforts go into PUSH PUSH PUSH, to point that I couldn’t recognize when I was over worked.
Here’s some signs you’re an exercise addict:
1) Rest day’s not in your vocabulary
The equation is Stress + Rest = Adaptation. You need to let go of thinking more work is promising you more results. You’re not guaranteed shit. You HOPE the body adapts and you need to do the right amount of stress based your current capacity. You NEED rest days. Which doesn’t have to be sit on your ass all day, but rather just being active, go for walks, do yoga, mobility. However, if you think going for walks or being active with family and friends isn’t hard enough, you’re getting caught up in a false responsibility that’s ironically preventing you from recovering (thus better gains) and enjoying life outside of intensity and grind.
2) You “Work Around” the pain
Does your shoulder hurt? Your knee? Elbow? Have you ever thought “Well I’ll just work around it. If I rest it long enough it’ll go back to normal.” What you don’t realize is your pain is there for a reason. There’s a something bad going on – and if it’s mechanics you need to figure that out before you get badly injured and go to zero workouts.
3) You workout more than once a day and NOT prepare for competition training
There are exceptions to almost every concept or premise in training, and doing two sessions a day CAN be helpful, but from my view are MORE often detrimental than beneficial. One major reason is your probability of benefiting from more work is low. What’s the goal?
Weight loss? – more cardio will lead to yo-yoing in weight because you don’t intend on continuing the cardio.
Athletic performance? – more workouts not balanced with your sport will leave you practicing and learning the skill fatigued, thus worse at your sport.
4) If it effects your work/social life
Couple bad ways this can effect you
You don’t have energy or time to see people. Being social is a major part of human experience and if you’re working out for confidence issues – pulling away from people will affect that more. Being yourself around people allows you to feel comfortable with oneself.
You feel everyone else isn’t working hard enough. You become defined by your superhuman ability to over work. Not to mention you will (not if) end up bragging about the workouts and time spent doing it. How do I know this? Because it’s consuming your whole fucking life, and I’ve been there. Do you ever have a conversation with someone about subject you dislike or don’t relate to? You’re doing that to everyone when you talk like this over commitment to training because it’s now your religion. I’m also willing to bet you’ve encourage others to join this religion just like.
5) I don’t have as much energy for life and sometimes affecting gym performance too
Do you feel so tired some days from the all the basic tedious stuff in life, but when it’s exercise, you’re ready to go and into it? It has been documented in research that the body will likely naturally limit you Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis when you’re overtraining. This means, your day to day living outside of your workouts, you’ll naturally move slower, and less energy.
Do you have some days in the gym when you feel like you’re not strong, or powerful or even fast enough to do your sport? I had this once, and it rocked me in the face. Literally, I got hit by a guy in sparring that was half my caliber but I couldn’t touch him. My instinct to not pay attention to my fatigue was so big that my body just wouldn’t let me move fast at all. This is a neurological connect of Fast motor neurons saying “Nope, we can’t show up today.” This was my sign I finally saw it, I’m doing harm with how hard I work.
These are simply a handful of good signs to watch for. Really address this and ask yourself if you fall into 3 or more of these categories.
If you do, then what?
Well remember exercise is just one part of a whole scale of health. Pulling some focus off of something can give you some balance is things being forgotten.
So, less cardio maybe more walking to and from work?
You’re going to do less strength – but maybe more mobility work? More Yoga?
Less weight on the strength movements – maybe more technical pace and focus on the form?
What about your mental health practice? Do you take time to journal? Do you take time to notice your emotions throughout the day?
The thing is it is hard, and there is A LOT of stuff one can worry about. So just because you aren’t focusing on simply putting more work doesn’t mean you don’t have a list of things to consider.
Here’s the hard part – admitting the problem. Cliché AF I know, but I was there, I know the feeling.
It’s a self-justification “I’m not doing anything bad, how is this more exercise bad?”
It’s not that the exercise is Bad – but it’s not serving you by doing more, and what are you doing bad in other realms of your life you could do better?
If you’re the hardheaded worker like me, that brings on challenges, and says “I can handle discomfort.” Then I got one for you.
Do less. (I know that thought makes you uncomfortable)
How effective and efficient (less time) can you make each training session? How much better can you show up for life/job? How healthy can you make your joints feel? Can you find your identity the same without that massive exercise load?
I had a client, that came from an overtraining protocol, message me the other day and say, “I woke up today feeling grateful for the fact that some of the paranoia around fitness is starting to dissipate….”
Wow did that feel great to hear. Because this gal lived a lot of what I described to you, and now she’s finding freedom and comfort in enjoying her life.
If you’re curious if you’re doing too much, book call and we can chat.