Fitness to the Extreme

“AN UNUSUAL spawn of the fitness movement,” says The Toronto Star, is “compulsive overexercisers.” The Star reports that overexercising afflicts both men and women. Men may overexercise to recapture youth, say some doctors and therapists, but the underlying reasons why women overexercise are usually poor body image and eating disorders.

Many start to exercise to feel and look better but eventually overexercise just because of a need to exercise. Richard Suinn, a sports psychologist and adviser to several Olympic teams, claims that excessive exercise is apparent when it is “based upon an emotional commitment rather than simple fitness management.” When dealing with this problem, doctors and therapists try to ascertain the kind of impact that exercise is having on patients’ lives. If they are juggling a demanding career along with taking care of a home and children, overexercising will have a negative effect on their well-being. According to Dr. Thomas Schwenk, a professor of family practice medicine, “they might well be physically still healthy, but have social disruption, job disruption, family discord.”

The Star lists some warning signals associated with exercise addicts: ‘Selection of loner exercises, such as biking, swimming, running or weight lifting; lack of flexibility with exercise schedules; belief that exercise is mandatory and that missing it is unbearable; and deterioration of other aspects of personal life.’

Although people working in the fitness field acknowledge the benefits of moderate exercise, they also warn of the detrimental effects of excessive exercise.—1 Timothy 4:8.