Endorphins are a naturally released hormone in your system, it's
released like a natural pain reliever and is also built to assist us
cope with situations of increased physical, or emotional stress. But is
it really possible to have an Endorphins Addiction?
The answer is somewhat of a sticky one, it isn't so much that you may become addicted to endorphins as it is more that you can become hooked on the experience which causes you to create the endorphins, mainly over exercising. I am not saying that you should not exercise, in fact just the opposite you should exercise five to six days each week if at all possible. The problem seems to arise when you're getting to the level within your workout routine where if you ever miss a day you feel very irritable and just generally in a bad mood. Lets explore several of the things you can do for this shall we?
Exercise Withdrawal
Those who have ever really gotten into an exercise routine, then had to suddenly stop it for one reason or some other (injury, work schedule, etc) has probably experienced exercise withdrawal. What happens is that after you exercise you produce endorphins and your body gets used to having that in your system. After you suddenly stop exercising one's body no longer produces the level of endorphins which you were used too and you begin to experience the difference. Symptoms may vary for every person but generally involve being easily angered, short tempered, and irritable. They should usually only continue for a few days but it can be a very depressing 2 days for the person suffering from it, and a very aggravating day or two for anyone you deal with.
How to handle it?
The best thing to do in this instance may be to make certain any time you do exercise, that you exercise properly so that you can avoid injury. If you do find yourself injured or in a situation where you cannot find time to exercise due to schedule issues, you might like to try some flexing exercises. Basically all you do is pick a muscle group, say your arms, then squeeze all of the muscles inside your arms for several seconds. I'm not saying to flex your arm like your showing off, flex all of the muscles at the same time, in doing this your arms won't move they will just tense up. Hold that for a count of 5, or more depending on your fitness level, then relax. Rest for a count that is equal to how long you flexed, then do it again. It is possible to continue doing this 5 to 10 times then move on to another muscle group. Don't flex an injured muscle, the point of this is to help keep the muscles that are healthy doing something so that they will remain in shape and you will not go through exercise withdrawal. You can do this at any time in any location, I used to try this at my desk in the office, and will make it easier to be calmer.
I work out but I am still tense on rest days?
Sometimes, whenever a person really gets into their workout, they will discover that they have got tension on the days that they are resting. Or they'll notice that they need to work out more and more to get the same good feeling that they used to receive from a normal workout. This could be regarded as exercise addiction, and is usually associated more with power lifting and long-distance jogging or running. The symptoms are the same as exercise withdrawal only rather than occurring after a few days of not working out, it might occur by simply having a day off from exercising or even in extreme cases occur prior to exercise for the day. Fortunately this really is more of a routine issue then anything else. You could use the flexing muscle technique I described above to offer yourself a quick fix, but I would honestly recommend speaking with a trainer to see what they would recommend. If you exercise enough to reach this point you most likely know several fitness trainers or may even be one yourself. A change up in your routine could be the most helpful thing for you, get away from a repetitive exercise regimen and get into more of a general routine that's slightly lighter for a while. It will permit your body to adjust more slowly to the endorphin level and enable you to feel less tense prior to work out.
The answer is somewhat of a sticky one, it isn't so much that you may become addicted to endorphins as it is more that you can become hooked on the experience which causes you to create the endorphins, mainly over exercising. I am not saying that you should not exercise, in fact just the opposite you should exercise five to six days each week if at all possible. The problem seems to arise when you're getting to the level within your workout routine where if you ever miss a day you feel very irritable and just generally in a bad mood. Lets explore several of the things you can do for this shall we?
Exercise Withdrawal
Those who have ever really gotten into an exercise routine, then had to suddenly stop it for one reason or some other (injury, work schedule, etc) has probably experienced exercise withdrawal. What happens is that after you exercise you produce endorphins and your body gets used to having that in your system. After you suddenly stop exercising one's body no longer produces the level of endorphins which you were used too and you begin to experience the difference. Symptoms may vary for every person but generally involve being easily angered, short tempered, and irritable. They should usually only continue for a few days but it can be a very depressing 2 days for the person suffering from it, and a very aggravating day or two for anyone you deal with.
How to handle it?
The best thing to do in this instance may be to make certain any time you do exercise, that you exercise properly so that you can avoid injury. If you do find yourself injured or in a situation where you cannot find time to exercise due to schedule issues, you might like to try some flexing exercises. Basically all you do is pick a muscle group, say your arms, then squeeze all of the muscles inside your arms for several seconds. I'm not saying to flex your arm like your showing off, flex all of the muscles at the same time, in doing this your arms won't move they will just tense up. Hold that for a count of 5, or more depending on your fitness level, then relax. Rest for a count that is equal to how long you flexed, then do it again. It is possible to continue doing this 5 to 10 times then move on to another muscle group. Don't flex an injured muscle, the point of this is to help keep the muscles that are healthy doing something so that they will remain in shape and you will not go through exercise withdrawal. You can do this at any time in any location, I used to try this at my desk in the office, and will make it easier to be calmer.
I work out but I am still tense on rest days?
Sometimes, whenever a person really gets into their workout, they will discover that they have got tension on the days that they are resting. Or they'll notice that they need to work out more and more to get the same good feeling that they used to receive from a normal workout. This could be regarded as exercise addiction, and is usually associated more with power lifting and long-distance jogging or running. The symptoms are the same as exercise withdrawal only rather than occurring after a few days of not working out, it might occur by simply having a day off from exercising or even in extreme cases occur prior to exercise for the day. Fortunately this really is more of a routine issue then anything else. You could use the flexing muscle technique I described above to offer yourself a quick fix, but I would honestly recommend speaking with a trainer to see what they would recommend. If you exercise enough to reach this point you most likely know several fitness trainers or may even be one yourself. A change up in your routine could be the most helpful thing for you, get away from a repetitive exercise regimen and get into more of a general routine that's slightly lighter for a while. It will permit your body to adjust more slowly to the endorphin level and enable you to feel less tense prior to work out.
Should you find that you enjoyed this article on whether or not
it is possible to have an Endorphins Addiction. If you find that you
want to learn more about combating stress, depression and anxiety while
helping to create a more relaxed lifestyle. You should click here to
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