Is over-exercising considered an eating disorder?
Over exercising itself is not an eating disorder, but the over exercising as a behaviour could be a part of an eating disorder for many people with different diagnoses.
But I think the question to ask yourself here is 'Is my over exercising a problem?' And if it is, the signs of that could be that you are physically getting injured a lot. Maybe that you are tired a lot of the time, maybe that your immune system is affected.
Maybe you're just not feeling your optimum because of course, exercising is a really helpful thing to do. But if we're doing it too much physically, actually, it's not so great for the body and also to consider mentally, do you feel like you have to exercise to burn off food?
Do you feel that you have to exercise to reduce your anxiety? Do you get really, really anxious if you're not able to exercise? So I think if you can answer a yes to those questions that I've just said, then that could be indicating that you have a problem with over exercise. And maybe to consider how you want to change that.
But I think the question to ask yourself here is 'Is my over exercising a problem?' And if it is, the signs of that could be that you are physically getting injured a lot. Maybe that you are tired a lot of the time, maybe that your immune system is affected.
Maybe you're just not feeling your optimum because of course, exercising is a really helpful thing to do. But if we're doing it too much physically, actually, it's not so great for the body and also to consider mentally, do you feel like you have to exercise to burn off food?
Do you feel that you have to exercise to reduce your anxiety? Do you get really, really anxious if you're not able to exercise? So I think if you can answer a yes to those questions that I've just said, then that could be indicating that you have a problem with over exercise. And maybe to consider how you want to change that.
Harriet Frew
Eating Disorder Therapist
