Why Is Exercising Too Much a Bad Thing?
A child may be exercising compulsively if he or she: • won’t skip a workout, even if tired, sick, or injured • doesn’t enjoy exercise sessions, but feels obligated to do them • seems anxious or guilty when missing even one workout • does miss one workout and exercises twice as long the next time • is constantly preoccupied with his or her weight and exercise routine • doesn’t like to sit still or relax because of worry that not enough calories are being burnt • has lost a significant amount of weight • exercises more after eating more • skips seeing friends, gives up activities, and abandons responsibilities to make more time for exercise • seems to base self-worth on the number of workouts completed and the effort put into training • is never satisfied with his or her own physical achievements It’s important, too, to recognize the types of athletes who are more prone to compulsive exercise because their sports place a particular emphasis on being thin. Ice skaters, gymnasts, wrestlers
