How does too much exercise affect us psychologically?

These are the psychological effects of getting into a dynamic of practicing too much sport.

Sport and any moderate physical activity is recommended at all ages. In Western societies there are too many cases of sedentary people, and the best remedy to prevent diseases associated with lack of exercise is, precisely, to move.

However, contrary to popular belief, more exercise is not necessarily better. There is a limit, and this is difficult to discern, although the problems it can cause for physical and mental health are serious enough not to be ignored.

Below we will discover how a lifestyle characterized by an excess of physical activity affects us emotionally and behaviorally..

How does excessive physical activity affect us psychologically?

Sport is often seen as a good health habit. And it is, without overdoing it. The frequent practice of physical activity is something very positive for our health, recommended for practically all ages and has always been seen as a protective factor against all kinds of diseases, especially bone and Cardiovascular diseases. Sport, combined with a good diet, prevents the appearance of overweight and obesity, medical conditions that increase all kinds of pathologies.

But not only has a positive effect on physical health, but being physically active is also associated with greater psychological wellbeing.. Although the claim that sport cures depression is disproportionate, it is known that physical exercise is a protective factor against psychological problems such as depression, anxiety or stress. In addition, it has been found that people who frequently play sports have a higher cognitive performance, with better concentration, attention and memory.

However, not everything is so positive. One thing is to practice regularly and another, very different, is to suffer from an addiction to sport.This is a condition in which one leads an overly active lifestyle, to the point that it conditions not only physical health, increasing the risk of injury, but can also negatively affect mental health. Addictions never do any good, and exercise addiction is no exception.

The psychological risks of sport

As we were saying, physical activity has been associated with physical and mental health benefits. While there are some physical risks with regular sport, such as dehydration and injury, these physical injuries are less likely with sport than the many medical and psychological problems associated with a totally sedentary lifestyle. Inactivity can lead to weight gain, cardiovascular disease and other medical conditions associated with impaired health and well-being.

One of the possible causes behind leading a sedentary or very inactive lifestyle may be to have a mental disorder, especially depressiondepression, a mental condition whose symptoms include lack of motivation and loss of interest in activities that were once pleasurable. There are many cases of people who have fallen into depression and have completely abandoned their sports hobbies.

However, it turns out that there is also the risk of practicing too much sportThis affects psychologically in a different way compared to doing no physical activity at all, but in a way that is almost as serious or worse. However much of a protective factor sport may be for mental health, if this physical activity is taken to the extreme it becomes a risk factor in itself, increasing the possibility of suffering from depression and anxiety disorders, especially among professional athletes.

There are many examples of professional athletes who show how an overly active lifestyle affects us psychologically. While it is not entirely fair to use them as an example as a warning to non-professionals, they do show very well what happens when sport has become a constant in a person's life and has become too much of a priority.

The most recent example that comes to mind is the case of Simone Biles.. There is no doubt that this Olympic gymnast is physically fit, but because she has been subjected to a lot of pressure and very hard training, she has been forced to put her mental health before her professional career, something that has helped other athletes to take a break as well. In addition, the case of Biles, along with others like Naomi Osaka, have served to destigmatize mental health problems in the sports world.

A case well before them was that of Michael Phelps. This Olympic swimmer had made public his problems with depression associated with an extremely strict sports career with virtually every aspect of his life. Phelps shared his psychological discomfort several years after the competitions, taking advantage of the fact that he was free of the neutrality imposed by the Olympic Games on its participants.

Others were not so lucky, such as the German soccer player Robert Enke, who despite a successful life in the sporting world ended his life by throwing himself onto a train track in 2009. Jeret Peterson, Olympic acrobatic skiing athlete, committed suicide just one year after winning the silver medal at the Vancouver Winter Games (2010). Dave Mirra, the best athlete in the history of BMX freestyle, ended his life in 2016, affected by depression related to chronic traumatic encephalopathy.

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy

We cannot talk about the risks of having an overly active lifestyle without mentioning chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Also known as dementia pugilistica, this is a neurological condition in which a neurological condition in which, due to having suffered multiple impacts to the head, the brain is damaged and all kinds of emotional and cognitive symptoms and all kinds of emotional and cognitive symptoms are present:

• Thinking problems.
• Impulsive behavior and substance abuse.
• Emotional instability: depression, anger, mood swings.
• Aggressiveness
• Short-term memory loss
• Planning problems.
• Emotional instability.
• Suicidal thoughts and behaviors.
• Generalized apathy: lack of expressiveness and emotional interest.
• Clumsiness, slowness, stiffness, coordination problems...

To be fair, this disease does not necessarily have to be caused by an overly active lifestyle. Some people who have been victims of abuse or who have suffered a car accident suffer from this problem, but it is especially common among practitioners of contact sports, such as martial arts or soccer. If these sports are practiced very regularly and the appropriate measures are not taken to avoid brain damage, it is possible to suffer from chronic traumatic encephalopathy..

Sports addiction

A risk associated with excessive physical activity but which receives little attention is exercise addiction, undervalued by many and seen as a virtue by so many others. It is believed that This particular addiction is believed to affect 3% of the world's population to a greater or lesser extent and to and poses problems on a psychological level for individuals who are physically healthy. Because sufferers are barely able to stop exercising, they run the risk of physical problems over time, such as torn ligaments, broken bones and sprains.

Scientific research has shown that exercise addiction, as with any other compulsive behavior, is sustained by its mood-enhancing effects. These effects range from being able to manage some anxiety to reducing the effects of anger, depression and boredom.

On the physical side, sport has a double effect: on the one hand it improves muscle strength and aerobic fitness and, on the other, physical appearance.. Psychologically, it maintains a good mood and increases self-esteem not only by looking better, but because the person feels proud of themselves for having remained consistent and not having failed along the way by being consistent and disciplined in following a regular exercise regimen.

Then there is the social factor. In the Western world the male and female canon of beauty privileges people who exercise over those who do not. While men are asked to be muscular and women are asked to be slim, in both genders, after having exercised consistently for a season and noticing the results, they receive all kinds of compliments. In the opposite case, i.e. to put on weight, they would not receive any flattery and would most likely receive criticism, some of it very cruel, camouflaged under concerns about their health.

And it is precisely because of this that, when you see a person with an addiction to physical exercise, far from wondering if there is a problem, they are considered a benchmark of effort, perseverance and health. Exercise addicts, far from being criticized by their social environment or given a touch about the need to rest, are praised for their dedication or their appearance by friends, family, trainers, peers, colleagues and others. by friends, family, coaches, trainers, teammates and even media such as social networks. This validation and attention only reinforces the exercise addict's efforts.

People who are addicted to exercise may be addicted to a second or even third addiction such as tobacco, alcohol, drugs, work, food or sex. These may also include addiction to steroids and other muscle-building substances. Whatever the addiction, comorbidity with other addictions increases the severity of sports addiction.

Some studies have linked eating disorders and caffeine addiction and shopping to exercise addiction. Addictive caffeine consumption would be related to a desire to increase physical performance by taking it in pills or drinking large amounts of coffee or tea, a practice that is not so uncommon among athletes. As caffeine is a substance that generates tolerance and dependence, the person would require more and more quantities to notice its potentiating effects..

As for eating disorders, one of the explanations would be the obsession with achieving the desired sports goals, both related to strength and body. Both men and women can fall into dynamics of obsession with what they eat, rejecting any food that comes out of their diet and that seems that it could take them away from achieving their sports goals. Vigorexia, especially in men, would be the junction point between exercise addiction coupled with an eating disorder.

How can you tell if a person has an exercise addiction?

To determine if a person presents addiction to the exercise or has a too active life style is task of doctors and psychologists specialized in the sport. Behind closed doors it is complicated to know if someone is overdoing it with sport, as it will depend on many factors, including whether they feel good doing it, if they are suffering injuries caused by abusing exercise or if there is some kind of mental disorder that enhances it. As general signs that indicate that a person may have an addiction to exercise are the following are the following:

• Exercising intensely on a daily basis and at excessive levels.
• Exercising despite being injured or suffering from a medical condition
• Needing more and more exercise in order to feel good about oneself.
• If the desired amount of exercise is not done, the person feels frustrated and in a very bad mood.
• Your mood depends almost entirely on how much exercise you do each day.
• Not taking days or weeks off for fear of losing the progress made.
• Continuing with a vigorous exercise plan despite the negative consequences on social relationships and work and academic obligations.

Although still little known, there is growing awareness of sports addiction and how an overly active lifestyle affects us psychologically. Thanks to this, it has been possible to develop diagnostic and screening tools such as the Exercise Addiction inventory Short Form, a six-question questionnaire that determines whether a person is at risk of suffering from an addiction to physical exercise.

Conclusions

Although the practice of physical exercise is usually recommended, its abuse can lead to various problems at the psychological level caused directly or indirectly by the practice of physical exercise. Either by the pressure of the exercise itself or by receiving impacts on the skull, especially among professional athletes, various psychological problems such as depression, anxiety or stress, as well as mood swings and suicidal ideation can occur..

In some cases, leading an overly active lifestyle ends up evolving into an addiction to sport that can be combined with other addictions, both substance and behavioral, and eating disorders. The abusive practice of sport, far from being socially condemned, can be encouraged, so that the person who is addicted to physical activity does not consider stopping but just the opposite, continuing to do more exercise and with greater intensity to receive more social recognition, a powerful reinforcement that can further strengthen the addiction.