Is Too Much Exercise Healthy?
Anorexia recovery
Firstly, I would like to say that doing too much of anything isn't healthy.
Exercise is a wonderful way to be able to move your body. It keeps you fit and has many other benefits like improving your heart health, reducing the risk of disease, and strengthening and maintaining healthy bones and muscles. However, one of the greatest health benefits, is that it supports our Mental health.
Regarding Mental health, your brain is the center point of attraction. So doing exercise is a great way to guide stress hormones to relaxation. Also, by doing so, you are releasing mood-boosting neurotransmitters. This can help those who are struggling with depression or ADHD.
But does exercise only mean going out for a run, or doing a workout 3–5 (or every day in some cases) times a week? The answer is no. Exercise can also be going out for a lovely walk through the streets, or in my case along the beaches of my home town. Dancing is also a great way to get some exercise into your routine, and it is such a relieving feeling just to let go and dance. (I will be posting a separate blog on the therapy of dancing) Yoga is another great example of integrating some gentle movements into your day.
However, it can become excessive. One of my main struggles is my excessive exercise addiction. It took a single comment over my body, which led me to start exercising. The peak of my exercise was reached during my stay in a general hospital. I couldn't stop. I was so ill, that I thought I should make a daily game out of it, and I kept a chart next to me to document, using different shapes and symbols, how much I did that day. The numbers were terrifying. Anyone who came to check up on me would have thought I was creating a secret language, because all they saw were shapes, but my eating disorder just saw the success. This followed me many years down the line.
Having been admitted into my first clinic, I would secretly (but not so secret) carry on with these impulsive behaviours. I was tired and weak, which meant that I couldn't carry on with my excessive exercise. I managed to control it after a while, but that only led me to my dearest friend, which was my daily walk. Now these weren't gentle strolls, my eating disorder just managed to grab hold of me secretly again, making me do something that would seem less obvious. In the morning, I would say that I am going for a lovely stroll along the beach, which was more accepted than going for a run, and then coming back late in the evening.
If you are struggling with excessive exercise, especially for those who are underweight, ask yourself the following questions:
- Are you at a healthy weight?
- Is it compulsive?
- Is it a way of compensating for eating?
- Are you fuelling your body with the right amount of nutrition it needs?
These were the questions that I would consistently be asking myself. I know stopping is hard, but you must do it. Once you are ready (mentally, physically, and medically) then you can slowly start integrating exercise into your life again. But when you do so, it is important to do so slowly.
Where do I stand today with my compulsive exercise?
I am proud to say that I have now been exercise-free for about a year. After years of failing attempts to recover in UK eating disorder clinics, we decided to look globally. We found a specialist eating disorder clinic in Europe, which I believe was the only clinic that specializes in eating disorders in that area. My therapist was what made the difference. He knew that I didn't like being put on the spot. If he saw me standing for too long, he would call me out in the middle of the corridor or the middle of group therapy. This may seem mean at first, but if he hadn't done so, I would not have had the strong enough Will to learn how to sit again. A fun fact about me is that I had to be taught how to sit again because it was out of my nature to do so.
What I found helps me mentally is finding a balance between sitting and movement. I love enjoying the sun and going for walks along the river (I have always been a water baby). But the act of walking isn't compulsive like before. I do it because I feel at one with nature and the fresh air helps clear my brain. Being in hospital took nature's beauty and fresh air out of my life, and this is me getting them back.
Is there anything I would like to still improve on?
Definitely! The thing is with me, I like having a certain structure in my day. I like to know what needs doing and when I will do it and for how long. Having a clear structure can improve productivity, save time, and help to achieve goals. But when they become too rigid, they take away your freedom to do spontaneous things in life.
The very best things in life, the very best things happen unexpectedly — mamma mia! Here we go again
My structured “walking schedule” does great things for my mental health, but they are very rigid. As I said before, they aren't compulsive, but I need to become more flexible because timing doesn't matter. Your body isn't going to know if you went for a walk at 15 o’clock or 16 o’clock. It hasn't got an inner clock for tracking time. I also would like to improve my thoughts on just completely relaxing. I know that is doable, but it takes time to rewire your brain into new beneficial actions and thoughts.
My top tip: just give it a go. Don't overthink it and just strive for recovery. Strive for the life that you want. Strive for freedom! There is still room for improvement; I know I will make it one day, and so will you!
