Kowalski 1 Julianne Kowalski Mr. Newman English 101: Rhetoric 22 November 2013 Exercise: Addicted of Committed?

Existing in a world where obesity and addiction has taken over, becoming dependent on exercise is well worth the risk. Training can be addictive but could be a healthy benefit into the lives of some. A "positive addiction" is a healthy variation to the barriers to exercise in life, since commitments to work, family, and other healthy pursuits must compete for time to work out. In other words, it is more than being able to run a long distance or lift a lot of weight at the gym. Being fit is not defined only by what kind of activity you do, how long you do it, or at what level of intensity. However, it is recently argued that the line between commitment and compulsion is being crossed. Whether this addiction is stemming from the need to put obsessions elsewhere, or just the want for a healthier life style, some will attest that the media is to blame, but others will oppose and say that recovery from drug and alcohol addictions is at fault also. With a world revolving around the opinions of others, having an addicting balance of exercise shouldnt be the problem, but maintaining a steady balance should be a must. Even though many believe that over exercising could potentially be harmful for your body, the effects of exercising are well worth taking the risk. Exercise has been universally acknowledged as a healthy habit which can have many psychological and physical benefits for an individual. Exercise behavior is now being looked at in a different light due to obsessive exercise being seen as a type of addiction. People who suffer with exercise addiction feel that exercise helps reduce anxiety about appearance concerns or

Kowalski 2 becoming overweight. It has been found that exercise addiction raises endorphin levels, which in turn gives a person feelings of well-being. However, if people do their research and maintain a healthy balance in their lives, this issue wouldnt occur. Opponents of maintaining a regular exercise routine, Monnica T. Williams, a licensed clinical psychologist, compares obsessive compulsive disorder to exercise. People who compulsively exercise do so to extinguish a worry; it makes them feel like theyre doing something positive about their fear. Williams argues that it looks identical to an addiction, but when its compulsive, motivation differs. The motivation comes from the concerns about appearance or health. Williams herself writes, Exercising to quiet unbearable fears should be a red flag to anyone who just cant stop. Meaning, those fears are too much of a distraction so they focus on something else. Williams just complicates matters when she writes how ultimately exercise is compared to obsessive compulsive disorder. There is no strong argument connecting the two. There could be similar aspects that occur to both, someone who is engaged in exercise and someone who has OCD, but there is no official link. Another supporter believing in exercise becoming obsessive is Diane Israel, a psychotherapist and psychology professor. She agrees that, yes, exercise is essential for our wellbeing, however, excessive exercise can alter our sense of well-being when it comes from a place of control. Israel supports her argument from her own experiences in life. She writes, If I didnt get that second and third workout in daily, I would internalize that I was bad person. I was driven by self-loathing and a need for control. But we are all mending from something, like addiction. We fill voids in our life with other things, and if exercise is filling the void of something completely negative, that shouldnt be a bad thing. Although I agree with Israel up to

Kowalski 3 a point, I cannot accept her over conclusions that exercise is connected to obsessive compulsive disorder. Supporters of a healthy addiction argue that training can be done in moderation since it is effective for a healthy life and scientifically proven to help people overcome certain battles in life, like drug and alcohol addictions. Caleb Daniloff, writer, used running as his sobriety tool. Although some believed that he just swapped addictions, he understood that running was healing agent. Daniloff wasnt addicted to the runners high, but the forward motion and progress. He even says Grinding out miles have never turned me into a monster, never once filled me with shame or regret. Therefore speaking for himself, running and exercising couldnt have taken a better place in his life. Stacey Griffith, instructor at SoulCyle, says if you are listening to your body, eating well and taking time to rest, regular exercise should absolutely be a part of your life. A positive addiction should include the encouraging results that exercise has on a persons physical and psychological security, not how it has took over their lives. Committed exercisers who engage in exercise for extrinsic rewards do not view exercise as the main part of their life and do not suffer withdrawal symptoms. If you want to commit your life to something and take a few days you will experience that withdrawal of adrenaline and wanting to be the best but there is no way something should become obsessive or addicting. Griffith suggests that if we focus more on the regimen and diet plan of exercise than the pleasure from during and afterwards, then that is called an addiction. Stated by Griffith, When we hear monologue in our head that we are lazy, incapable, unworthy; when we cant pause to enjoy a day of rest or redirect ourselves to other self-renewing activitieswe are engaging in obsessive behavior. To move is human. Daniel E. Lieberman, professor at Harvard University, specifically states Wanting to be physically active every day is no more an addiction than wanting to get

Kowalski 4 eight hours of sleep. Anything in the world can become addictive. We always strive for perfection, we want to be the best, and we want to stay connected. One of the most problematic causes related to exercise addiction is being able to distinguish healthy exercise from addicted exercise, but that is where the responsibility of the situation needs to be taken. Moderation is key, whether youre eating too much chocolate each day, or youre over doing it in the gym. Some people may still maintain that in our material world, everything depends on appearance. Although Williams and Israel feel very strongly in their opposition towards exercise becoming a compulsive factor, many others take the stand that training can become a positive addiction in ones life. There is a line between committed and compulsive. Exercise in your life is a need be, whether it is to preserve that summer body one longs for or to create positive factors in the life someone is trying to change. Living in this dysfunctional world, studies are trying to prove that working out, is not becoming a benefit anymore, but more so an addiction. Lieberman states It is often said that exercise is medicine, but a more correct statement is that insufficient regular exercise is abnormal and pathological. We who exercise are not doing it wrong, those who are not changing their life, are. Regular high-intensity obsessive exercise is actually pretty harmless. A healthy obsession is being passionate about what one wants for oneself; not how you want to ruin yourself.