Drawing a line between exercise and addiction

Bivaro

 

By Noreen Mae Ritsema — The Manitoban

WINNIPEG (CUP) — As most gym junkies can attest,
the gym gets noticeably busier in January. Not only
are more people visiting the gym trying to purge the
excesses of the holidays and trying to compensate for
missed workouts during holiday gym closures, but
there is also a spike in new members joining the gym.

You know it’s the new year because you are
blinded by all the shiny, white new runners being
sported by people determined to start exercising. You
also know it’s the new year because your favourite
exercise bike that you use at the beginning of every
workout is being used by one of those people
wearing shiny white sneakers.

The good news, or at least the truth, is that by
the end of January most of those new running shoes
will be sitting at the backs of closets under piles of
clothes as people realize how much work a workout
actually is. It is unfortunate, but at least you get your
bike back.

As we welcome a new year, so many people
add exercising to their list of New Year’s resolutions.
That is important and ambitious, but for some people
it is also possible to exercise too much.

If you do go to a gym often enough to have

 

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be more insidious, however, are the psychological
aspects of over-exercising. Also known as compulsive
exercising, this phenomenon is considered an
addiction and has been categorized alongside eating
disorders.

Compulsive exercisers often lack clear fitness
goals and tend to work out longer and more frequently
than necessary. It has been speculated that people who
compulsively exercise are addicted to the chemical
reactions in their bodies caused by exercise.

Interestingly, it has also been found that many
over-exercisers have skewed opinions about their
bodies, often perceiving themselves to look heavier
than they actually are. This is the same distorted body
perception that fuels many eating disorders.

The psychological aspects of compulsive
exercising are also a matter of a person’s perspective
on their exercise regimen. The general guideline
indicating whether you are exercising too much or
not is reflected in how high of a priority you place
on exercise. You should be concerned about over-
exercising if you prioritize workouts over friends
and family. Another sign may be if your friends and
family are concerned that you exercise too much.
Remember, exercise is only healthy when it is not
taken to an extreme.

 

 

pieces of workout equipment that you affectionately
consider your own, it may be time to consider what
it means to over-exercise.
There are both physical and
psychological components to
over-exercising and both are
complexly related, exposing
the difficulty of actually
diagnosing the problem.
Physically, symptoms that
indicate that you are putting
too much pressure on your body include consistently
sore muscles, sleep disturbances, lack of motivation,
decreased appetite, sudden weight loss and increased

incidences of injury. Any or all of these signs translate to

“The good news, or at least the truth, is that by the end of January most of those
new running shoes will be sitting at the backs of closets under piles of clothes as
people realize how much work a workout actually is. It is unfortunate, but at least

you get your bike back.”

your body needing you to exercise a little bit less.
These physical symptoms can be obvious and

intrusive indicators that you are over-exercising. Your

body is literally telling you to slow down. What can

Ideal bodies that are unrealistic for the majority
of people permeate the media and it is not uncommon
to see women reading fashion
magazines featuring ultra-thin
models at the gym while they work
out. Perhaps this common scene
shows a correlation between the
media’s glorification of thinness
and compulsive exercising. What
is not so easy to see is the line
between healthy exercising and
over-exercising. For some people, it may be time to take
a step back and evaluate which side of the line we find
ourselves on.

 

Don’t take your studies for granted

      

Trevor Doré
inions editor

t has been almost a month since the start of the
[ee semester and like so many other students I am

finding it hard to get back into the groove. Course
readings are starting to pile up and I cringe at the thought
of looming essay assignments and exams. The countless
hours that were spent researching, studying, and reading
last semester seem like distant memories. The thought of
another investment of countless hours seems tedious and
I sometimes find myself dreading the thought of school.

I am sure that at one point or another, we have all
whined and groaned about going to class and having to
do piles of homework. Some of us can hardly wait until
we are finished school so that we can get on with a full-
time job. While a full-time job can be nice, especially if
you’re looking to make money, it’s not always what it’s
cracked up to be. Take it from a guy who held a mundane

full-time job not so long ago.

Firstly, most full-time jobs consist of a minimum
40-hour workweek—the typical nine to five. While some
students may be required to spend 40 hours a week on
campus, I am going to assume that this is the exception
rather than rule. Not to mention, rarely do students spend
five days a week on campus. 40 hours a week may not
sound like much, especially if you are getting paid, but
this only represents the time spent at work and does
not include the time it takes to travel to and from. Most
people live a fair distance from their place of work, some
having to commute one to two hours in each direction. In
the end, you may wind up devoting ten hours a day or 50
hours a week to work. This is a considerable amount of
time, leaving little time for the extras.

Working this much might be fine by you, especially
if you're in a job that you enjoy. However, many jobs
require repetition of a series of what can sometimes be
monotonous tasks. Regardless of if you like what you
do, having to do it over and over again is going to get
old after a while. Unless you have a job that encourages
you to move up in the company, learning new things and
educating yourself is left up to you, on your own time.

Because so much time is already being devoted to work,
there is little time for these extras.

At post secondary, you are submerged in an
environment apt for learning. On a daily basis you have
the opportunity to interact with like-minded individuals
and discuss events, theories and practices that are very
relevant in the world that surround us. You are constantly
learning about new things. The purpose of your post-
secondary years is to educate and enlighten. Whether you
spend 10 hours or two hours a day at school, this time is
devoted to the development of your mind. Post secondary
is a privilege not a right and should never be taken for
granted.

So the next time you find yourself procrastinating
and neglecting your studies, remember the years at post
secondary are invaluable. You have the rest of your life
to work. Take this time and enjoy it and above all else—
don’t take it for granted.

 

 

Fuming? Nodding? Tell us what you think; contact
opinions@ theotherpress.ca with your opinions about this
or any other article

 

 

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