Sports addiction is what the term is called. Fitness mania: where does such a craving for sports come from? Everything is good in moderation

Doctors of the American Fitness Association are sounding the alarm. Such a seemingly healthy addiction to exercise can be a sign of severe psychological addiction. “Fitnessaholics” tend to forgo work and family responsibilities for the sake of training, they are capable of almost anything, just not to miss their favorite activity. And most importantly, the painful dependence on fitness is manifested in the fact that a person tries to immediately spend what he ate in training so as not to gain weight.

Test

Formally, a person who spends more than 5 hours a week in the gym can be considered a fitness addict. However, the American Fitness Association has developed a special test to more accurately determine addiction, the questions of which we invite you to answer.

1. Do you feel guilty about skipping a workout?
2. Do you try to move more if you miss a workout?
3. Your mood depends on whether you exercised today or not?
4. Do you feel tired and do not want to go to training, but you force yourself?
5. Do you spend more than 5 hours a week in the gym?
6. Do you avoid work and family responsibilities in order to go to the gym?
7. Do you work out with full dedication, despite the indisposition?
8. Do you aim to use up all the calories you get from food while exercising?
9. Do you purchase a gym membership first and only then calculate your monthly expenses?
10. Does your fitness club membership cost a lot more than you can really afford?

If you answered “yes” to more than four questions from the list, it is worth considering your attitude to training - it risks developing into an addiction.

How to deal with it

Many people will object that they would only dream of a fitness addiction. Indeed, the inability to live without a gym and training at first glance is not the worst thing you can think of. You will follow the training plan and lose weight, so why get rid of such a convenient addiction, it's not a painful craving for chocolate, for example. In fact, not everything is so simple.

For the most part, fitnessholics are not skinny. Their problem is constant overtraining. Too many exercises, too much stress on the muscles. As a result, the body is in a state of constant stress, and increases appetite. Naturally, keeping a diet in such conditions becomes a very difficult task. Here are the majority of people who are addicted to fitness and don't stick to rational eating plans. So, contrary to popular belief, losing weight is easier for those who do not "depend" on training.

Psychologists advise limiting training to 5 hours a week and stop worrying about the fact that you still have free time left to spend on fitness. Remember that you have other hobbies that are not related to physical activity and be sure to include them in your schedule. Well, the most important thing on the way to getting rid of fitness addiction is the realization of the fact that no sport will save you from the need to eat rationally and balanced.

Only moderate training, recovery and rational nutrition will help to “sculpt” beautiful body.

Every self-respecting man in one way or another tries to keep his body in shape - he goes in for sports at home or, if he has time, goes to gym. We have already said more than once that the main thing in this matter is not to overdo it, although we welcome great zeal and striving for success. But today the habit of going to training has become a dangerous trend. Already in 2012, 0.5% of the world's population became addicted to going to the gym. We think that now this figure has increased several times. We all need to know the signs of an emerging addiction in order to prevent it in time and prevent it from ruining us.

How to know if you are addicted

The symptoms of addiction, according to sports and psychology professor Clive Jones, are fairly obvious and easy to recognize. The first and main sign is the obvious anxiety that you experience at a time when you cannot get to the gym for a long time. Irritability also predominates, an inability to consider the importance of recovering the body after a series of grueling workouts. Sports come to the fore, completely controlling the emotions, behavior and thinking of the addicted athlete. It can also lead to great conflicts with loved ones, since the obsession with physical activity puts it in priority over the family, personal life or work.

As in the relationship of a drug addict and a prohibited substance, an athlete develops tolerance for the gym. That is, each time, in order to achieve complete satisfaction from training, the load has to be increased. This is a normal practice in sports in general, but you should not go too far. And a decrease in the load can cause an abstinence syndrome, which will lead to great discomfort, trembling in the whole body or some of its parts (can be compared with breaking), drops. Therefore, when starting classes in the gym, remember these symptoms in order to stop them at the first stage.

Psychological and chemical effects

If in women the desire for an ideal body can cause such a disorder as anorexia, then men often develop dysmorphia. This is a mental illness that is caused by excessive concern about not meeting the standards of a beautiful male body in society. A prime example of what this does to people is bodybuilding. According to Dr. Jones, as a rule, addiction to sports can be associated with a low assessment of oneself, one's body, as well as self-doubt.

Another reason for developing addiction in humans is chemicals. As you know, when playing sports, endorphins are produced in the body, which helps a person feel much happier. Plus, it helps to cope with stress, but when there are too many workouts, the trainee becomes dependent not only on them, but also on his hormone of happiness, which he needs more and more, like a drug addict.

What addiction does to your body

Australian professor Aaron Coates says it's hard to determine how long a person needs to spend in the gym before they can be considered addicted. For each, this number will be individual, and a greater tendency to it is manifested in those who do endurance exercises. It is especially dangerous, even from a health point of view, to practice every day without giving yourself proper rest. Also at risk of addiction are men who take on heavy physical activity but do not combine it with diet and proper recovery.

The consequences of sports addiction can be as follows. Firstly, due to inadequate rest, which is almost non-existent, joints, bones and ligaments suffer, which at one moment may not withstand. Secondly, in such extreme conditions, the metabolism in the body can change, which is also not very useful for you. There is also a high risk of hormonal failure, due to which hormones will no longer enter the body in the usual way and in the right amount, which will lead to a decrease in testosterone levels, an increase in cortisol and estrogen. The latter, by the way, can cause the transformation of yours into a woman's. In addition, immunity suffers - you will get sick more often and it will be harder to endure even the most common cold. And the loss of muscle mass that you are so eager to gain will not please you.

How to fix it

Of course, we are not talking about any magic pills, but if you follow some simple rules, it will help you. First, your carbohydrate intake must become adequate. It is the most accessible source of physical energy. Despite the fact that today one of the main trends in fitness is low-carb, you should not forget about them, leaving their usual portion in your diet.

The second thing you must do is change your thinking and behavior. This begins the struggle with a possible or already obvious dependence. To prove to yourself that this is not so, you have to forget the way to the gym for a couple of weeks. And if you are going on vacation and are looking for a hotel where the hall will be located, stop doing it. It is this behavior that gives you addiction.

It's also important to remember that, apart from sports, there are many other things that can lift your spirits and combat your stress. Plus, it's important to make sure that your good mood does not depend only on how well you pumped up your abs today or how much chest pressing you did this time.

And one more thing to remember is the purpose for which you go to the gym. Naturally, many of us go there to keep the body in shape or bring it into it. But we must set goals that are realistic, not going beyond, because of which we will not have to spend in the hall every day, striving for an unattainable ideal. You just need to remember that a beautiful body does not always mean pumped up. It is time for us to reconsider these stereotypes.

Can't imagine life without a fitness club? Would you rather skip a friend's birthday or a romantic date than skip a workout? Then it's time for you to see a psychologist! Perhaps your diagnosis is “dependence on exercise».

Everything is good in moderation! More recently, Swedish scientists have discovered a new psychological disorder associated with a mania for a healthy lifestyle, when a person carefully controls everything he eats, goes to bed at a certain hour, regularly weighs himself and measures the parameters of the figure. Dependence on physical exercises - from the same series. It seems that this is dangerous? Daily exercise improves the condition of the body, prevents the risk of diabetes, high level cholesterol and hypertension. Logically, you should double or triple these loads to get the best result. But it's not. Two hours of exhausting running every day won't make you four times healthier. Over-indulgence in sports leads to injury, exhaustion, depression, and even suicide. During exercise, the adrenal glands produce cortisol, the stress hormone. And if exhausting workouts are also combined with a low-calorie diet, such a duet can lead to fainting right in the gym.

Fitness freaks are often so busy with their workouts that they lose their jobs, lose loved ones, and neglect their kids.

Risk group
Most often, physical activity is dependent on:
restless and withdrawn people. Introverts who don't like to be the center of attention;
individuals seeking maximum control over their lives;
perfectionists. In pursuit of perfection, a person falls into extremes and can no longer cope with himself;
people with complexes: women obsessed with the idea of ​​\u200b\u200bweight loss, and men seeking to build muscle.

Fitness Addiction Symptoms
Ordinary people build their sports schedule around life, and fitness people, on the contrary, build their life around this schedule.
Addicts can exercise even at the most inopportune times. For example, they go for a run in the rain or go for a cardio workout with a temperature. Even when injured, they not only do not stop training, but also do not reduce the load.
Skipping another workout for a true sports fan is real tragedy. A person experiences sensations that are somewhat reminiscent of breaking. He develops depression, insomnia, loss of appetite, nervous irritability, withdrawal and aggression.

Soul or body
Scientists have long been figuring out what causes exercise addiction. Is it a physiological or psychological phenomenon? Modern research has shown that certain parts of the brain responsible for addiction to drugs, alcohol and gambling react in a similar way to the lack of exercise in those who are “sick” with sports. A team of doctors from the University of Health and Life Sciences in Oregon studied the brain activity of mice that had their exercise wheel removed after six days of vigorous exercise. All mammals deprived of physical activity had an increased level of activity in 16 of the 25 brain regions. It is these departments that are responsible for the development of the aforementioned attachments. According to researchers, a similar reaction occurs in humans. That is, these results give reason to believe that this is a physical problem, not a psychological one.

Sport is a drug of joy
It is believed that at physical activity increases the level of chemicals that help elevate mood. Previously, scientists believed that endorphins, the hormones of happiness, have such an effect. This hypothesis has recently been challenged. During the experiment, one group of participants was given a drug before training that binds endorphins, blocking their action. The second group did not receive it. After the session, the level of endorphins in the subjects from the first group really remained at the same level, and from the second group it increased. But the mood rose equally among all participants in the experiment. It turns out that the cause of joy is not in endorphins. Or not only in them. The researchers concluded that perhaps another hormone, serotonin, is responsible for a positive attitude after training. Experiments have confirmed that after moderate physical exertion, the concentration of this substance increases. Serotonin is used in many modern antidepressants. That is, physical education has an effect similar to the effect of antidepressants.

Prevent and cure addiction

To avoid addiction:
eliminate excessive daily stress;
change your training program more often;
don't forget to rest fresh air;
Focus on social fitness activities like dancing or stress-relieving yoga and stretching. You can also try martial arts, one of the components of which is relaxation and a mood for a positive perception of the world.

Methods of dealing with fitness addiction
Start by realizing the existence of addiction. It seems to a person that everything is under control, but in fact, in the end, the problems are aggravated.
Contact a psychologist.
Find comrades in misfortune on the Internet. Surely among them there are those who have overcome the "ailment". Listen to their recommendations!

Evgeny Lykov, 39 years old:
“I owe my passion for fitness to the school history course, which revealed to me the Hellenic values ​​proclaimed by ancient philosophers, participants Olympic Games: "Faster, higher, stronger ...", "In healthy body- a healthy mind. As a result, by the end of schooling, I easily pulled myself up on the crossbar 30 times and, without much effort, exceeded any school standards for physical education. After school, he continued to actively train at a military school. My friends and I took photographs of athletes from Western magazines in order to be motivated to improve the body further. How many times we watched "Rambo" and "Terminator" and do not count. Later in Moscow it became possible to go to good clubs with modern simulators - that's when I really got involved! A missed workout causes me moral discomfort, a week of idleness due to a cold - suffering on physical level. Fitness junkie?! I don't regret it at all!"

Expert opinion:

Lobacheva Elena, psychologist

“If the gym pulls you like a magnet, making you forget a lot of important things, try to remember under what life circumstances you came here for the first time. Annoyed by your own reflection in the mirror? Wanted to escape from work, domestic or love problems? Would you like to treat yourself to a trendy pastime? The answer to this question will be the key to your "recovery". After all, the way out of a problem situation is usually located in the same place where the entrance is.

Ponurina Olga, personal instructor of the elite network of Parisian clubs, nutritionist

“During physical exertion, a lot of biochemical reactions really occur in the body, leading to shifts at the hormonal level. For example, hormone production Have a good mood- serotonin. One of its actions is the mobilization of body functions, which gives a surge of strength, lightness and joy. Hormonal surges are naturally replaced by recessions, and as a result - a bad mood, a state of weakness. A person is intuitively drawn to the gym, where he felt better. So there is an addiction to physical activity. In order not to fall into such a state, it is best to avoid too intense and frequent training and alternate the load with proper rest.

Unable to stop, to control their minds, to act rationally, right.

There is an unhealthy addiction, growing into a mania, to food, medicine, work, sex, shopping.

Separately, dependence on physical activity is highlighted: how addiction occurs is discussed in the article.

It's hard to believe that an excessive addiction to healthy lifestyle life can turn into an obsessive occupation that is harmful to health.

How sports addiction develops

From childhood, parents try to introduce their beloved child to sports. Some send babies to sport sections, other families go for walks, play badminton, work out on simulators, go skiing, cycling, skating on weekends.

As an adult, everyone chooses how much time to devote to physical activity. To maintain health, it is enough to lead an active lifestyle, walk, do morning exercises.

For many, such a list is not enough to achieve physical perfection - and life changes dramatically.

Having determined their own inferiority, fragile guys, chubby girls head to the gym. At first, they master the simulators, do jogging, exercises, taking into account the recommendations of the coach.

Seeing the long-awaited changes, they suddenly become obsessed with the idea of ​​becoming an ideal in the eyes of others.

Properly structured workouts are being replaced by grueling workouts. Gradually, the load increases, exercises are added.

Thoughts swarm around fitness, your own figure and next lesson, although the previous one has not ended yet. There is a dependence on physical activity.

Hyper-enthusiasm for sports, fitness, home workouts leads to excessive production of cortisol by the adrenal glands. The hormone causes stress.

If a low-calorie diet is additionally used, a failed athlete may suddenly lose consciousness, faint.

Dependence on physical exercises, fitness is not easy to diagnose, but psychologists identify specific signs that deserve close attention:

• desire to constantly increase physical exercise to achieve planned results;
• negative attitude to everything that does not allow regular fitness, exercises at home;
• ignoring the instructions of a doctor advising to reduce the load due to health hazards;
• increase in training time;
• neglecting important events in the name of studying in the chosen program.

With the development of sports addiction, the addict looks at photos of his favorite idols in magazines, on Internet portals for a long time, constantly looking for fresh information about them, wants to be equal in everything.

He does not think about why an athlete pumps muscles, exposing his own body for show, and how many years he has been going to this result.

Obsession takes over, reinforced by thoughts that their own results so far are quite insignificant. And they really start to slow down, because the body is used to stress.

It remains to increase them, despite the deterioration of health, constant concern, discontent.

At a certain stage, the dependence on sports is compared with a drug addiction. When training is present daily, a person experiences a sense of satisfaction.

It is worth stopping them for a day, discomfort begins, resembling withdrawal. Anxiety, panic, apathy are added. I want to quit everything, run to the gym, surrender to my favorite simulator.

Conversations with others do not give the proper impact. In addition to the desire to constantly engage in sports, there is a fear for the state of one's own body.

It seems to the addict that it is worth giving up classes, as the muscles disappear, the waist will spread, the body will become shapeless, there will be overweight. Many reach nervous breakdowns, physical exhaustion.

withdrawal syndrome

Against the background of improperly composed training, a lot of diseases develop. Health is not improving, but constantly deteriorating.

There are problems with breathing, the heart cannot stand, the muscles get tired. Add exhaustion to this. nervous system, constant overload of the brain.

An immediate lifestyle change is required. The withdrawal syndrome appears with a decrease in the number of loads or their absence. It manifests itself like an abstinence syndrome.

Its signs:

1. insomnia;
2. groundless irritability;
3. excessive excitability;
4. depression;
5. imbalance;
6. ideational immobility.

To eliminate the withdrawal syndrome, a return to the athlete’s usual volume of training or an increase in loads that stop withdrawal is required.

Sport is beneficial as long as the activities promote health.

With the appearance of psychological, physical changes leading to depression, disappointment, constant dissatisfaction, we have to state the presence of dependence on sports activities.

Conclusion

The addicted athlete does not experience pleasure. He lives in constant tension, forgetting that between workouts the body needs recovery.

Reserves are quickly depleted, so you should carefully review your own behavior.

If it is impossible to adjust the course of training with a coach, you will have to contact a psychologist who deals with sports addictions.

Video: Exercise Addiction: Symptoms, Consequences, Treatment

Anyone can be addicted to sports. Every day the number of people who go in for sports is only growing. It can be fitness, visiting gym or morning runs. There is nothing wrong with striving for a healthy lifestyle.

Often, excessive training causes addiction to sports. This is due to the fact that the individual seeks to achieve high results behind a short time: men tend to increase muscle mass, and girls dream of losing extra pounds.

Causes

Numerous complexes are the main cause of addiction to sports. Sports addiction appears in those who cannot adequately assess the state of their body. Even huge changes in better side sometimes not enough for a person to stop spending a lot of free time on fitness and in the gym.

Another cause of addiction is bigorexia - the desire to build muscle mass. It arises due to the fact that the athlete is dissatisfied with his body, painfully perceives issues related to appearance, is dissatisfied after and during training.

Starting to engage in a particular sport, a person hopes that after each training session she will be a huge step closer to her goal. But this is a rather lengthy process. As a result, there is an addiction to exercise. Such an athlete every day spends more and more time in the gym, trying to get as close to perfection as possible.

Any person who has even a small sports addiction has very low self-esteem. Therefore, progress in sports is very important for them. This helps them improve their self-esteem and assert themselves. So the problem arises in insecure people who try to compensate for their complexes. perfect view of your body.

Symptoms

The goal of training for ordinary athletes is not just to improve the body, but also to fulfill a clearly defined plan: they special program perform exercises that keep their body in good shape and bring them closer to the goal. People addicted to sports do not have such a plan. When they achieve one goal, they come up with a new, more complex one. And this happens all the time. If you don't follow the plan, you can hurt yourself a lot.

Increased sex drive can also cause sports addiction. Such people think that perfect body will allow them to win over a potential partner.

Sports addicted people have characteristic behavioral traits:

• Any addicted to physical exercise is reverent and patient about sports and every day increases physical activity.
• A person who is obsessed with sports constantly thinks about the upcoming workout and is able to put off important things in order to hit the gym.
• If you deprive him of the opportunity to play sports in conditions convenient for him, his health will worsen.
• When there is no opportunity to visit the gym, the person becomes irritated and conflicted.
• The daily routine is complicated in such a way that the individual has time to visit the hall, despite the many urgent matters.

Signs of overtraining

Among professional athletes, there are often those who are already too tired of the sport. They are overtrained, but this should not be equated with addiction. They are forced to do sports every day by the specifics of their work. Many athletes understand that sometimes it is better not to overtrain than to overtrain. Finding this fine line of an effective, but not too intense workout is very difficult.

All people have a different limit of physical capabilities. Often an overtrained athlete needs a long rest. If you feel very tired after a regular workout, this is the first sign of overtraining. Other signs include:

• decreased physical activity;
• lack of coordination;
• rapid pulse;
• headache;
• gastrointestinal problems;
• weak immunity;
• lack of appetite;
• insomnia;
• vulnerability to nervous breakdowns;
• feeling of apathy.

If you have experienced several of the above symptoms, you must admit that you overdid it with exercise. At this point, you need to find out when you overtrained and what you were doing at that moment. This will allow you to determine what should never be done again.

Even professional athletes can overwork from constant training, which is accompanied by an unlimited number of loads. Coaches of such athletes usually insist on taking funds that allow them to endure heavy loads asymptomatically. Such funds adversely affect the health of the athlete.

Any sports addict suffers from overtraining. That this did not happen, this should be monitored by the athlete himself, his coach, and his relatives.

Treatment

Exercise addiction is a problem that the patient cannot get rid of on their own. Not the last role in this process is played by friends and relatives of this person.

Close people should distract a person from sports at least twice a week. They should always remember that the addict always has a busy schedule, which necessarily includes intense training. To disrupt his plans, you can distract him to no less interesting, but necessary activities. This could be housework, meeting up with friends, attending events, etc.

In spring and summer, intense training can be replaced by river rafting or hiking. At such events, the addict will not get tired, but will not completely lose his passion.

To get rid of addiction, it is enough to “interfere” with the patient for a month and change his plans, preventing him from playing sports too often. If relatives achieve that a person will go to training no more than three times a week, then the addiction will disappear without a trace.