Exercise Bulimia

Read about this in Newsweek. We are all apparently sick.

Symptoms
Compulsive exercisers will often schedule their lives around exercise just as those with eating disorders schedule their lives around eating (or not eating). Other indications of compulsive exercise are:

Missing work, parties or other appointments in order to workout
Working out with an injury or while sick
Becoming unusually depressed if unable to exercise

Working out for hours at a time each day
Not taking any rest or recovery days
Strives to achieve and master ever more difficult challenges. Forgets that physical activity can be fun.

Defines self-worth in terms of performance
Justifies excessive behavior by defining self as a “special” elite athlete

[edit] Medical Consequences
Exercising too much can cause a multitude of problems including:

Injuries such as stress fractures, strains and sprains
Low body fat - low to the point where it can cause some serious health problems.
Fatigue
Dehydration
Osteoporosis
Arthritis
Reproductive problems
Heart problems
Death
Severe acne

I don’t think we’re all sick. I don’t do anything listed in symptoms.

I organize my exercises around my daily routine; not the other way around.

I do not miss work, appointments or whatever so that I can train. I do not burden people I visit with special dietary requirements.

If your workout comes before your family, friends and obligations, then, yes, you might have a problem.