Are you a fitaholic?
A fitness addict will have developed an unhealthy obsession with exercise and is often linked with body image disorders and eating disorders. However, when you Google the term fitaholic, or fitness-aholic, it is generally associated with a positive image of competitive people, pushing their limits and being motivated as ****. How can you ensure that your fitness routine remains a positive in your life and that it’s not becoming detrimental to you?
6 signs that you might be overdoing it
Disturbed sleep
Over-training can really play havoc with your sleep. The excessive exercise will trigger your stress hormones, and this will disturb your sleep cycle. You’ll be left with restless nights. Instead of feeling invigorated from your exercise routine, you’ll be feeling pretty tired and tetchy.
Injury
If you keep sustaining minor, or major, injuries, the chances are you might just not be getting enough rest. Your body needs a chance to recover from your workouts. You also might find you are pushing yourself too hard in your workouts. Lifting too heavy, making your sessions too long. You can’t change your body in one session, so, take it slowly and pace yourself.
Increased anxiety and decreased concentration 
Exercise should make you feel invigorated. Yes, you’ll probably feel tired straight after an intense workout, but after a rest you should feel great. If you’re lacking concentration throughout the day and feeling more anxious than normal, you could well be experiencing burnout. It’s time to take a step back for a longer rest and recuperation period or change up your exercise routine for a much gentler option for a week or two.
A drop in results
A sure sign your fitaholic nature has gone too far is when you notice that your fitness and strength actually seems to be decreasing. You might notice you can only manage 6 pushes instead of your usual 10. Your HIIT class that you usually breeze through starts to feel like it’s a constant uphill struggle. It’s time to get some balance back in your routine and evaluate your fitness schedule.
Muscle soreness
It is completely natural to have sore muscles the day after you have worked out. But if you’re noticing that your muscles are still sore after a couple of days, you’ve probably overdone it. You’re better off pacing yourself at an exercise level which is sustainable rather than pushing so hard that you can’t move for 5 days.
Lack of enjoyment
Working out and staying fit is supposed to be fun. It makes you feel good. It’s great for your mental health. If you’ve got to the stage where you’re dragging your feet every time you think about heading to class, you might have just over done it. Scale back the intensity and frequency of your workouts. Try a maximum of 4 days per week for a month. Remind yourself that it is perfectly acceptable to have days off. You do not need to feel guilty. You can be a happy fitaholic without falling into an addictive and negative routine.
Written by Becky Barrett.
Becky Barrett is an international talent manager and personal fitness coach with over 15 years’ professional experience and a 1st class Honours degree in Business & Law.
Driven by her unique values of compassion and a holistic approach to talent management, Becky has devised an innovative solution to take on the fitness industry with a brand-new personal fitness concept that aims to inspire and boost ‘new normal’ approaches to exercise routines.
Features include: Health & Wellbeing, Natural Health, Arden University, The Telegraph, BBC, Time & Leisure, Bdaily News, The Stage.