Over-Exercising

Balanced exercising includes regular physical activity that fits into your lifestyle, supports your mental and physical well-being, and allows adequate time for rest and recovery.

 

Physical activity is important for overall health, but when exercise becomes a constant thought, it can be harmful to your physical and mental well-being.

 

Over-exercising is characterized by an unhealthy obsession with exercising that has negative physical, psychological and/or social consequences. Over-exercising can happen to anyone of any weight or body type. However, men often face societal expectations to achieve a muscular and athletic physique, which can lead to over-exercising.

 

Over-exercising can affect mood and energy levels, causing irritation, anger and problems with sleep or daily activities. It occurs when we do more exercise than our body can handle, including unsafe exercise practices or not eating enough food nutrition to fuel your body.

 

A lack of control over how much exercise you do could indicate that you may be struggling with over-exercising.

 

Over-exercising can lead to a negative body image, where individuals may focus excessively on perceived flaws, leading to dissatisfaction with their body, despite being fit. This can deter self-confidence if goals are not achieved.

 

Body Image

Anyone, regardless of age, gender, sexual orientation, size, ethnicity or culture, can experience body image issues. Different factors can increase one’s risk, including overexercising, which can potentially lead to developing a negative body image.

 

A negative body image often leads to low self-esteem, which can result in problematic behaviors such as obsessing over exercise, extreme dieting or social isolation.

 

Body image can also impact the type of physical activity you feel comfortable participating in and your level of enjoyment.

 

A preoccupation with one’s body or weight can be the symptom of an underlying emotional issue. It's important to remember that when someone says, ‘I feel fat’ — that fat is not a feeling.

 

Body dissatisfaction can increase one’s risk for disordered eating and other potentially harmful behaviors to alter appearance, such as over-exercising or restricting food intake.

 

Body image issues can be an early sign that someone may develop disordered eating or an eating disorder. It’s important to seek help as soon as possible from a professional and address these concerns before they progress further.

 

Practicing body appreciation can improve overall body image by fostering a positive relationship with your body and enhancing self-esteem and confidence.