Excessive exercise: From quantitative categorisation to a qualitative continuum approach

Abstract

Researchers have yet to reach a consensus on the definition of excessive exercise, and many questions remain about the relationship between excessive exercise and eating disorders. Understanding of excessive exercise may be furthered by adoption of a broader, dimensional perspective. The current qualitative (grounded theory) study explored the continuum of women's exercise experiences, ranging from casual to more extreme regimens. Thirty-two women were interviewed, aged 16-77. Participants described stages in a continuum of exercise experiences. Overlaps were described between participant perceptions of 'normal' exercise, excessive exercise and exercise addiction. Excessive exercise and disturbed eating were described as arising from common concerns about the need to control the body, with exercise viewed as a more acceptable alternative to disturbed eating. The results provide support for a continuum approach to the understanding of excessive exercise, and highlight the utility of qualitative methods in this area.

The meaning of compulsive exercise in women with anorexia nervosa: An interpretative phenomenological analysis

“…The tendency for exercise routines to gradually become more obsessive bears similarity to findings in non-clinical situations (Elbourne & Chen, 2007;Johnston, Reilly, & Kremer, 2011). In the context of sport and exercise psychology, research has shown similar associations between compulsive exercise and disordered eating behaviour among athletes (Johnston, Reilly, & Kremer, 2011). Yet, excessive and/or compulsive exercise in individuals with anorexia nervosa is considered particularly risky, since large amounts of exercise are accompanied by an increased risk of medical complications (Shroff et al, 2006), longer length of hospitalization , modest clinical results (Casper & Jabine, 1996), and an increased prospect of relapse after recovery (Carter, Blackmore, Sutandar-Pinnock, & Woodside, 2004;Strober, Freeman, & Morrell, 1997).…”

“…Studies have shown that the compulsiveness of exercise is significantly associated with increasingly disordered eating-related attitudes and behaviours in both clinical and non-clinical settings (Meyer & Taranis, 2011). The tendency for exercise routines to gradually become more obsessive bears similarity to findings in non-clinical situations (Elbourne & Chen, 2007;Johnston, Reilly, & Kremer, 2011). In the context of sport and exercise psychology, research has shown similar associations between compulsive exercise and disordered eating behaviour among athletes (Johnston, Reilly, & Kremer, 2011).…”

Propiedades Psicométricas del Exercise Addiction Inventory (EAI) en una Muestra de Estudiantes Brasileños Universitarios

“…Por contra, otros podrían estar reflejando elementos asociados a consecuencias de carácter neutro o, incluso, de carácter positivo (e. g., con el tiempo he aumentado la cantidad de ejercicio que hago en una sesión). En esta línea, Johnston et al (2011) pusieron de manifiesto que, en el contexto del ejercicio físico, las personas suelen resaltar más algunos componentes de la adicción que otros, percibiendo, no obstante, un continuo en el cual la línea que separa la conducta que podría ser calificada como normal de la adictiva no siempre está clara. Esto sugiere que tal vez algunas dimensiones definidas para la adicción conductual en el contexto del ejercicio físico no son percibidas de manera negativa de forma inequívoca.…”

“…En esta línea, Szabo, Frenkl y Caputo (1997) advirtieron que la literatura podría recoger un amplio número de estudios sobre adicción al ejercicio que en realidad estarían reflejando un elevado nivel de compromiso con esta conducta. En cualquier caso, establecer conceptualmente cuándo la existencia de un elevado compromiso con la práctica de ejercicio físico adquiere la condición de conducta adictiva se muestra como una tarea compleja (Johnston, Reilly, & Kremer, 2011).…”

Adicción a correr: una revisión desde sus inicios hasta la actualidad

“…Entre los términos más utilizados encontramos, dependencia del ejercicio (Veale, 1995), ejercicio obligatorio (Pasman y Thompson, 1988), ejercicio compulsivo (Yates, 1991) y ejercicio dirigido (Fairburn, 2008), para referirse a las manifestaciones de este tipo de conductas (Johnston, Reilly, y Kremer, 2011).…”