Letting go of compulsive exercise in 4 easy steps

15 September , 2020

When you look up Exercise addiction, you will see it is defined as “an unhealthy obsession with physical fitness and exercise”. In this 2004 research, Hausenblas and Downs identify exercise addiction based on the following criteria (that are modifications of the DSM-IV criteria for substance dependence):

Tolerance: increasing the amount of exercise in order to feel the desired effect, be it a” buzz” or sense of accomplishment;
Withdrawal: in the absence of exercise the person experiences negative effects such as anxiety, irritability, restlessness, and sleep problems; (more on that in this 2003 research)
Lack of control: unsuccessful at attempts to reduce exercise level or cease exercising for a certain period of time;
Intention effects: unable to stick to one’s intended routine as evidenced by exceeding the amount of time devoted to exercise or consistently going beyond the intended amount;
Time: a great deal of time is spent preparing for, engaging in, and recovering from exercise;
Reduction in other activities: as a direct result of exercise social, occupational, and/or recreational activities occur less often or are stopped;
Continuance: continuing to exercise despite knowing that this activity is creating or exacerbating physical, psychological, and/or interpersonal problems.

Of course, there is a gradient of ways to experience these, but it is probably fair to say that it doesn’t take a full-blown addiction to feel the guilt and shame associated with exercising or not. And because exercising too much can have terrible consequences on physical and emotional health, I’d like to offer some easy steps you could take to start tackling exercise addiction – if you recognized yourself in the criteria mentioned above:

1/ Get rid of online #fitspo influences

It is clear to me that exercise addiction is kept alive by the dangerous messages that circulate online – see photos of what I mean in this Instagram post.

Many of the ‘fitspo’ quotes are not just words. They simultaneously show very specific body shapes. This is no coincidence. It demonstrates how much exercise is still associated with the wish to obtain a certain size/body shape (thin and muscular).

Keeping this in mind, consider how fitness influencers call upon [fatphobic] judgement or morality : working out would be inherently good because it makes you “better” (aka thinner/more ripped). Therefore implying that avoiding exercise (because you don’t want to or because you CANNOT) is bad.

Messages around discipline also reinforce the toxic idea that addiction is something to long for. If you have ever lived with someone who’s an addict – you know how horrifying it can be and how NO ONE would wish that upon even their worst enemy.

Another toxic message from the fitness industry is the idea that ANYONE can get the “perfect” body “if only they work hard enough”. These messages are unrealistic to highly toxic. Not only do they promote a constant comparison based on looks, they also glorify ignoring our own needs in pursuit of a “body goal”, which disconnects us from our bodies even more. This renders us unable to live in the present moment – which is essential for humans to feel happier right now – and can even extend into self-hate (for the non-compliant therefore immoral body), which can easily turn into depression, anxiety, eating disorders, etc.

The reality is: we need to challenge the idea that our appearance and health is completely in our control, as it is untrue and excludes too many people from the conversation. Instead, we need to make sure that ANYONE gets access to movement, to their own ability, that we make gyms/equipments/wellbeing more inclusive to marginalised people and that we view health in a much larger way – where concepts like rest or selfcare are not demonized.

Now that you know how toxic these messages are, step one might be to ‘clean up’ your feed and get rid of fitness influences that constantly promote a certain ‘ideal’ body or weight, when their images depict only one type of aesthetics and if they bring out a lot of guilt and shame around NOT exercising. Step 2 would be to repopulate your feed with conscious (HAES if possible) fitness influences, that present more than one body shape, or don’t even attach themselves to imagery at all, but to a WELLBEING goal, and adapt their services to their clients’ needs, without shaming them or using guilt as a strategy. Research accounts like @mynameisjessamyn @fitragamuffin @letsjoyn @mybodywpg @accessibleyoga PS: Superfithero even has a body positive fitness finder on their website!

2/ Put away the scale and fitbit – focus on joyful movement instead

Tracking exercise keeps us trapped in the performance mentality. In recovery from compulsive exercise, it is more important to nurture overall wellbeing. And that cannot be measured or dissected into numbers.

One way to do this is to ask: “If all sports were burning the same amount of calories, which one would I choose?” Deciding to approach fitness from the perspective of joy is shown to greatly improve overall health, as it becomes a lot more sustainable on the long run, and devoid of unnecessary guilt and shame.

3/ Replace exercise sessions with something soothing

As you try to decrease your regimen, think of ways you could occupy your time instead of trying to sit on your hands, while running yourself crazy obsessing over what could have been happening. Start a new hobby, explore old pastimes, meet friends over coffee, create a mindfulness routine, visit a family member at the usual time you’d be exercising. Swap self-control for self-care. More ideas here.

4/ Reframe rest & productivity

If you constantly feel like you need to be ‘productive’ to be worthy of attention and valued in the world, consider taking some time to journal about this.

Why is it so? Where is this idea coming from? What do I think would happen if I just sit there and do nothing? Is it really true?

By deconstructing the idea of productivity, we are also able to confront it and see where it serves us – or not.

Very closely related, is the concept that rest is not valuable to us. Although it is just as important as exercise is, in our capitalist societies, rest is sometimes considered as ‘wasted time’ because it generates no direct (tangible) value. But any athlete will tell you that rest is just as crucial as movement to improve their overall fitness. Even more so if they are injured or chronically fatigued. For those of you in HA recovery, rest is not only essential but a cornerstone of your ability to regain your fertility, because it sends messages to your hypothalamus that it is finally ‘safe’ to resume ovulation.

What is your experience with compulsive exercise? Share in the comments or via my social media accounts @byond.bodyimage

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Hi, I am Florence Gillet. I am a certified Eating Psychology coach, a recovered dieter, a feminist and a mother of two. I help chronic dieters reclaim their freedom of body and mind without passing on fatphobic, weight-biased values to younger generations.

My professional practice combines strategies from nutrition science and eating psychology to restore a happy, healthy relationship with food and your body.

I believe that together, we can claim back our power & inspire our children to find theirs, without stigma nor fatphobia. Let’s rewrite our stories together!

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