As a celebrity, you’re endlessly scrutinized by paparazzi and you’ve always got some sort of big event to look good for. In anticipation of a film or event, celebs have to whip post-baby bodies into top shape by training like madwomen, but the good news is that we regular folk don’t need to take that kind of high-intensity training to reach peak form. In fact, wellness experts will tell you that pushing your body to the limits is actually detrimental to your wellbeing, causing you to become ill, injured or burnt out rather than helping your fitness. So why is extreme exercise more popular than ever before?
According to Running USA, a non-profit organisation based in Colorado Springs, the number of marathon finishers has increased by nearly 50% since 2000. In the meantime Yoga has gone from four to 20 million practitioners in the US alone over the last 10 years, with vigorous forms like Bikram (hot yoga) and Ashtanga (an athletic series) absolutely exploding in popularity. But why are we turning to this high-pressure approach? Tina Craig, a Dallas fashion blogger who struggled with her post-pregnancy shape, takes back-to-back kickboxing and Pilates classes three days a week. ‘I’m back in my size-24 jeans,’ she raves. ‘I felt like an old milking cow most days. My exercise regimen was validation that I had some sort of control over my life, which had been taken over by an adorable but demanding little bundle.’
However, things aren’t always so rosy when you exercise to the extreme. According to Tracy Stern, a Philadelphia- and New York-based tea entrepreneur known for her sleek physique and glamorous wardrobe, she was striving towards an unnatural idea of perfection. ‘I was under the influence,’ she admits, falling prey to a gruelling workout schedule that included several yoga classes, two aerial gymnastics lessons, and boxing and Pilates classes — all in one week. After one exceptionally strenuous period, Stern says she ‘couldn’t even brush [her] hair after.’ So what motivates you to go overboard? Sheenah Hankin, a psychotherapist in Manhattan, asserts, ‘It’s fear. They think, If I don’t exercise, I am going to gain weight, lose my muscle tone. It’s emotional, not rational. It’s a terrible trap.’
Loren Bassett, whose namesake boot camp, taught in 100- to 105-degree temperatures, tends to draw diehard fitness freaks in their droves, echoes Hankin’s words. For Bassett, extreme exercise is ‘about control.’ You can’t control every aspect of your life – especially the things about which you feel insecure or unhappy – but you can control your exercise routine. This is a similar thought process to that which anorexics have in controlling how much they eat, which can obviously be problematic to your health. ‘The main thing is looking at the mind-set of the person,’ Bassett notes. ‘If you’re feeling anxious when you can’t exercise, that’s a sign you’ve crossed the line between healthy and compulsive.’
Christine Whelan, a professor of sociology at the University of Pittsburgh, points out, ‘Being thin and buff is seen as a statement to the world that you have the time to exercise and are above the temptations of excess calories and hours in front of the TV.’ However, you could end up doing your body real damage by trying to keep up with the Joneses. Geralyn Coopersmith, an exercise physiologist and national director of the Equinox Fitness Training Institute, explains, ‘Unfortunately, we live in a more-is-better society, and people get nervous about sustaining their fitness level, but if you overtrain and don’t leave your body enough time to recover, it’s not a matter of if you are going to get injured; it’s a matter of when and how badly.’