Can Over-Exercise Be A Form of Self-Harm?
Self harm is when you hurt yourself as a way of dealing with very difficult feelings, painful memories or overwhelming situations and experiences that feel out of control.
With some of the discussions we’ve had on self-harm this month, I couldn’t help but wonder if there are certain things I’ve done, like over-exercising, that count as self-harm.
Why? I used to be a fat kid, and even after I lost all the weight, my legs were still a problem area. Heard the phrase “A moment on your lips, forever on your hips”? Yeah, I think that was about me.
To make sure I can actually find pants that fit me, I work out. There was a time I’d work out twice a day and eat maybe once? Even then, those meals were scanty.
I just wanted to look good. I’d run for close to an hour then hit the gym right after. I mean I looked good but it was extremely unhealthy because I always felt weak. I couldn’t handle the thought of putting on weight again or dealing with insults about weight gain.
I spoke to Abayomi Oladinni aka Mr Nigeria Health Fitness to get his point of view on this.
On exercise and mental health, he believes physical fitness has a tremendous effect on your mental well being, which is true. Regular exercise has been shown to reduce stress, ward off anxiety, boost self-esteem, improve sleep and ward off anxiety.
“The real benefit of exercise on our mental health is the burst of endorphins (happy chemicals), we get during a work out.”
That’s great because well it gives me something to look forward to when I work out. But, I had to ask at what point one becomes aware of the fact that over-exercise might me becoming self-harm.
How much anxiety about my weight do I have to ward off using exercise before it starts to have negative effects on me. Most importantly, how do you know when this happens?
“You become aware of this shift, when you start to ignore every other aspect of your life and spend all your time exercising or thinking of exercise. This can range from personal relationships, to work, and simply being antisocial.”
I could relate to this a bit. Ignoring my diet was a huge problem for me. I couldn’t wait to run or lift weights but food was the last thing on my mind, and it shouldn’t be.
For Abayomi, a way to prevent this is to set a program and follow it, reviewing it as time goes by. This might mean getting a trainer or sticking to a diet plan, but by setting these goals, you also have to allocate a set amount of time to it. I wish someone had told me that.
So yeah, if you find yourself ashamed of your body, like I was, and over-exercise and a poor diet is your escape, understand and listen to your body to ensure exercise doesn’t cross that line where it does more harm than good. Also, recognize when you are trying to be perfect, and realize that your flaws are what make you human.
I know that now. #Myhipsdontlie :)
