When Exercise Makes You Feel Worse

You know that old saying, “too much of any good thing can be a bad thing?” It’s true in just about every situation, including an exercise regimen. While a balanced amount of movement has its place in a healthy life, too much of it can cause devastating issues, including body dysmorphia, exercise dependency, even a full-blown exercise disorder.

Read on to learn:

• What healthy and unhealthy levels of movement are
• Why people who exercise frequently may end up feeling worse about their bodies
• How to know if you have an exercise dependency or body dysmorphic disorder
• What to do if you have a problem with exercise and/or body image

Exercise Dependency Definition: Primary and Secondary Dependence

Exercise dependency is a harmful obsession with exercising. If you experience anything like the following, you may have an exercise dependency:

• Exercise despite illness or injury
• Spend an inordinate of time exercising, despite having other responsibilities
• Be unable to stick to a regular exercise routine that includes necessary rest days
• Find that exercise gets in the way of relationships, academic goals, professional aspirations, other hobbies, etc.
• Exercise to experience a “high” or “buzz”, even if it leads to injury

Currently, 3% of adults in the U.S. struggle with exercise addiction, many without even realizing it. There are two forms of exercise dependency: primary and secondary.

Primary exercise dependence describes dependence on exercise solely for the psychological satisfaction that you get from the exercise itself.

Secondary exercise dependence, on the other hand, describes using compulsive exercise as a way to achieve one’s primary goal, such as weight loss or to cope with intense anxiety. 

It’s estimated that 39-48% of individuals suffering with an eating disorder also have an exercise disorder.

What Causes Exercise Dependency?

People at a higher risk for exercise dependency may be competitive athletes, avid gym-goers, individuals who use fitness technology to track their progress, or those whose career depends on a certain level of fitness (i.e. police officers or military personnel). 

Individuals who also experience anxiety or depression or who struggle with substance use or an eating disorder often use exercise as a form of addiction transfer, trading the “high” of binging, restricting, using drugs, etc., for the “hit” of dopamine that comes with intense exercise. 

Lastly, people with body dysmorphia may turn to exercise in an (unsuccessful) attempt to improve body image. Sometimes, exercise can even make body image worse.

What is Body Dysmorphic Disorder?

Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a type of obsessive-compulsive disorder in which the sufferer obsesses over perceived “flaws” or “imperfections.” Sufferers may engage in “body checking” or compulsively checking in on the flaw to make sure it hasn’t gotten any “worse.” BDD sufferers may do this by staring in a mirror or feeling the “flaw” with their hands. It can also include compulsively taking substances, undergoing surgery, and (you guessed it) excessively exercising to “fix flaws.”

Why Can Exercise Cause or Worsen Body Dysmorphia?

If exercise is supposed to make you “look” and feel better, why do some people become increasingly dissatisfied with their bodies the more they exercise?

Worsening body image, especially in the gym, often stems from anxiety about the aesthetic result of exercise. Men are “supposed to be huge” and may have a distorted view of the size of their muscles, especially when comparing themselves to other people in the gym. Women are now somehow “supposed to be” thin, but also toned but not too toned. And everyone is supposed to look like the latest iteration of gymfluencers on social media feeds, despite the fact that their lives are devoted to the fitness industry.

So, everyone is comparing themselves to someone else, worrying about their own “progress,” and have a distorted view of themselves no matter how much “work” they put into their exercise regimen.

Related: Men suffer from body dysmorphia in unique ways and face unique challenges in terms of recovering from it.

What to do if you think you have exercise dependency

The first step is to admit you have a problem. Diet and “fitness” culture may try to convince you that your unhealthy exercise habits are really a show of willpower and commitment to health—but that isn’t true. Your mental (and often physical) health is worsening, and it needs to be addressed.

Next, seek out a qualified professional trained in exercise dependency and any related issues you might be dealing with. They can help you determine the underlying causes of your issues surrounding exercise, and set you on the path toward recovery.

Featured image by Luke Chesser, Unsplash