Why People Become Addicted to Exercise

by POPSUGAR Fitness 3

If you're feeling tired, down, or otherwise out of sorts, exercise can do wonders to help you feel better. That's because exercising releases endorphins, chemicals that tap into your brain's feel-good center.

It's no wonder, then, that exercising is on the list of activities, from eating dessert to sex, that people can become addicted to. In fact, in a recent New York Times article, researchers said that compulsive exercisers act much like drug addicts in regards to their daily workout: "tolerance, craving, withdrawal, and the need to exercise 'just to feel normal.'"

Of course, like any addiction, being addicted to exercise is no joke; it can cause anything from headaches to injuries to a weakened immune system — here are more signs that you are exercising too much. But many people profess to feeling out of sorts if they miss a workout, or how much they love experiencing that "runner's high." Are you one of them? Have you ever been addicted to exercise?