When Eric Bana was interviewed by ‘Access Hollywood’ to promote his new movie ‘The Time Traveller’s Wife’ he said that “Abs are for people with no friends” implying that people who work out had no social life.
While comments like these are not doing the national obesity levels any favours, Bana did have somewhat of a point. There is a fine line between wanting to be fit and healthy and being a gym junkie.
So how do you know if you’re taking your gym addiction too far and have crossed over into becoming an addict? Here are five signs to tell if you’re a gym junkie.
1. You put your gym schedule before your work and your friends.
Life is all about a balance, whether that is juggling work duties, family life, friendships and a rigorous gym workout. If you find your friends and family are constantly complaining about not seeing you and you’re missing out on birthday dinners and special occasions to go to the gym, they may have a valid point.
It’s a good thing to be disciplined but you need to be flexible with your workout routine. Before you give up your gym membership, you may want to consult a personal trainer at your gym who can work out an exercise schedule that will meet all your fitness goals but still allows you the odd movie or night out with your friends.
2. You exercise even if you have an injury.
If you have injured yourself, whether it be a torn ligament or a back injury, it’s best to consult a doctor’s advice before you go back to the gym. You may risk doing further or permanent damage and being on the bench for weeks on end.
It may just be a case of limiting your exercise routine or only exercising certain parts of your body. For example, your doctor may advise you to rest your foot but that doesn’t mean that you can’t work out your upper body or you may lower back pain but you may be able to do a Pilates class.
It is essential that you seek medical advice but more importantly to take the medical advice and wait out the suggested rest periods. Your body will thank you for it in the long run.
3. You suffer withdrawal sessions if you miss an exercise session.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with craving a workout and feeling withdrawal symptoms if you miss a gym session. However if you feel guilty or you are beating yourself up because you missed one gym session, that’s when you should start to feel concerned.
Discipline and obsession are two totally different things and obsession is not a natural or healthy feeling. Like with anything whether it be your diet or exercising, moderation is always the key to a healthy lifestyle.
4. You have a cold that won’t go away.
Studies show that a moderate exercise routine coupled with a good diet and done on a long term basis can help build a healthy immune system. Moderate exercise has been linked to a positive immune system response and a temporary boost in the production of macrophages, the cells that attack bacteria.
Over-exercising on the other hand can decrease your immunity system and make you more susceptible to the common cold and infections. Even if you are training for a high endurance event like an iron man competition, your body needs to rest and recover between workouts.
5. You constantly feel run-down and tired.
Healthy levels of exercise should be giving you more energy and get up and go in the mornings so if you are feeling lethargic, you’re suffering from insomnia or feeling sluggish, this may be a sign that you’re over exercising. You need to make an active choice to cut down on your workouts or the days you are exercising to bring up your energy levels.
If you have self-diagnosed yourself as a gym junkie, there are ways to wean yourself off exercise and break your bad habits. Start going to the gym at different hours such as the morning or lunch times and leave the nights free to socialise, find a gym closer to work or home or cut down on the hours that you do at the gym to give you more time to do other things you enjoy.
Contrary to popular belief, you can have too much of a good thing so continue your gym training but maintain a balanced and healthy lifestyle.
If you liked this article, you may want to read our article on Five Fitness Myths Debunked.