A study from the University of Southern Denmark has examined what happens when people who exercise regularly start to obsess about working out and allow their training to take control over their lives. The researchers found that out of the 600 people participated in the study, 5.8% could be defined as fitness addicts. Some confessed to using exercise to regulate their mood, and for some, exercise became the answer to everything. Those who were addicted to exercise felt both good and bad about exercising. Says researcher Mia Beck Lichtenstein, “If someone who’s addicted to physical exercise is prevented from training, that person will experience withdrawal symptoms like restlessness, frustration and guilt. It’s comparable to alcoholism, where withdrawal symptoms play an incredibly large part in the addict’s social life, family life and working life.”
Comments are closed.