When Too Much Exercise Becomes a Problem - 0 views
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But while a little exercise is a good thing, taking exercise to the extreme can cause serious health issues, even death.
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When few adults exercise regularly, and many struggle to find just 20 minutes to dedicate to a workout, it may be hard to believe that some people place exercise at the center of their lives
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Sufferers of exercise bulimia use excessive exercise to purge or compensate for eating binges or simply regular eating, often working out multiple times per day or for three or four hours at a time
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Deep down, this disorder has more to do with control than it does the desire to fit into a smaller size of jeans
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The scary thing about an addiction to exercise is that it creeps up gradually, usually among everyday people who start exercising, feel good afterward, revel in the calories they're burning, have a desire to get healthier or lose weight, and therefore start believing that more is better
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Oftentimes, people who develop an exercise compulsion don't feel like there's anything wrong with what they do
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Compulsive exercisers build their lives around working out and are genuinely distressed if they can't exercise as much as they feel they need to (or should be)
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Exercise bulimia is similar, but involves eating binges. People who suffer from exercise bulimia often binge on food and then exercise obsessively to make up for it. Exercise becomes a way to control calories, justify eating, and punish oneself for eating too much or eating the "wrong" things.
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In general, exercising for up to 60-90 minutes, most days of the week is reasonable and healthy for most people as long as recovery and downtime is built in.
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Excessive exercise can weaken the body and cause a host of problems, including: Fatigue Suppressed immune system Lack of menstruation (amenorrhea) in women due to a lack of body fat Reproductive problems Heart problems (such as muscle wasting and rhythm problems) Dehydration Arthritis Osteoporosis Stress fractures and sprains Kidney failure
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Compulsive exercise and exercise bulimia can affect both men and women of all ages, races, body types and weights.
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A doctor may ask if the person is exercising and get the right answer (yes), never knowing the extent to which the patient is actually jeopardizing his or her health by taking exercise to the extreme
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A physician may first suspect a problem if a woman stops menstruating due to a drop in body fat, which affects estrogen levels, but the condition may be virtually undetectable in men whose body fat levels can be much lower without creating any health problems.
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Studies have found that sufferers often come from families where food was used as a way of controlling behavior and battles surrounding food were common
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Traditional treatments for exercise bulimia include support groups, cognitive behavior therapy, psychotherapy, and/or medication, such as anti-depressants.