Managing your relationship with exercise

The benefits of exercise

There are plenty of benefits associated with exercising, sport and movement. According to the World Health Organization, adults should do at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity throughout the week or at least 75–150 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity to maintain a healthy state.

Physical benefits of exercising include strengthening muscles, healthy and blood circulation as well as training flexibility and endurance. Indeed, according to the American Heart Association, regular exercise can reduce the risk of heart disease by up to 35%. Physical movement is furthermore linked with lower risks of developing chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes since it improves insulin sensitivity. Lastly, it increases energy levels and boosts the immune system, hence stopping the body from catching diseases and infections.

Moreover, exercising has an immediate effect on one’s mental health. It provides a sense of satisfaction and releases endorphins, which are hormones released during pleasurable activities that act as natural mood lifters and counteract stress.

Exercising can also improve sleep quality and tackle insomnia. Ultimately, it can increase one’s self-esteem through the achievement of fitness goals.

Not only does physical activity have an impact on an individual’s wellbeing but it can additionally provide social benefits by gifting people with the opportunity to build meaningful communities and foster teamwork. For instance, according to the Journal of sport and exercise psychology, regular participation in group exercise classes or team sports can lead to a 30% increase in social connections and friendships. 

 

Unhealthy relationship with exercise

As much as exercise is positive for one’s individual, physical activity may be used as a tool to compensate for the food eaten. Intensive activities in the gym or outdoors can be indeed utilized as a coping mechanism for mental health issues. People could take up fitness as a way to adhere to idealised bodies shared through media. This puts individuals at risk of overtraining and eventually injuring themselves, developing eating disorders or isolating themselves. Ultimately, people subjected to unhealthy exercise patterns could limit their social circle and feel obliged to train regardless of their physical or mental health.

Exercising addition

Exercise addiction is defined by the National Institute of Health as a dysfunctional behaviour characterised by exaggerated training, loss of control over exercise behaviour, and negative life consequences that could be physical, psychological social, or a combination of the three.

It is fundamental to be able to differentiate healthy exercise habits from addictive behaviours as exercise addiction could deeply influence one’s health. Symptoms of exercise addiction to be aware of are:

 

  • Extreme training habits associated with stress, preoccupation or persistent thought.
  • A fear or irritability related to the inability to work out. 
  • Pushing one’s body to still exercise nevertheless of injuries, illnesses or pain.
  • Relying solely on training to regulate emotional states.
  • An impact on social relationships because of exercising habits, or hiding from loved ones the intensity or frequency of training.

 

Exercise addiction could be caused by multiple factors: a tendency to be a perfectionist, underlying eating disorders, anxiety, performance stress… Ultimately, though, excessive working out leads to multiple negative effects on one’s mental and physical health:

 

  • Severe and debilitating muscle soreness.
  • Damage to the immune system because of the tiredness and lack of rest.
  • Risk of having stress fractures or injuries.
  • Disordered sleeping patterns.
  • Low energy and fatigue.
  • Decrease in sports performances.
  • Weight loss.
  • Hormonal imbalances.
  • Anxiety and stress.
  • An impact on one’s social relations.

 

It is therefore important to recognize signs of exercise addiction and establish a healthy relationship with working out.

The importance of rest days

Even though the internet and social media have been glamorising excessive amounts of training and one may think that the more exercise the better, this is not always true. Indeed, rest days are fundamental in tackling injuries and enhancing sports performances.

Rest days give your body the possibility to repair tissues that have been damaged during training. When muscles are exercised micro tears occur. Thanks to rest and a correct diet, these are repaired and the muscle fibres are expanded and made stronger.

Additionally, taking a rest day will enable you to train even harder in your following workout sessions, enhancing your performance and enabling you to reach your fitness goals.

Lastly, it is important not to compare yourself and your workout schedules to others, since everyone is at different levels and requires different training types.

Exercising intuitively

Establishing a healthy relationship with exercise is a challenging process, though there are several tips you can consider to improve: tips can be 

  • Focus on your mental and physical well-being after exercise, and notice which types of workouts make you feel the best.
  • Try different types of workouts: from low impact like walking or yoga, to high impact such as running or HIIT classes. 
  • Be mindful of how your body is feeling before deciding which type of exercise to do: don’t push yourself to do a workout if your body is not feeling it.
  • Do not underestimate injuries, let your body heal correctly.
  • Be flexible with workout routines and avoid unhealthy strictness with your workout schedule. 
  • Reach out to a professional coach or expert who can design a workout schedule for you, tailored to your needs.
  • Never use exercise to compensate for your diet, rather, see it as a benefit for your health and a positive contribution to your wellbeing.