The practice of physical exercise produces psychological and physical benefits. He running Specifically: reduces stress, improves cardiovascular capacity, reduces the risk of suffering from diseases, etc. Therefore, to have a healthy life, it is advisable that running or practicing physical exercise be part of our lives, as it is an important component of well-being.
But anything taken to the extreme can be harmful, and running is no exception. Currently, the running fashion leads many people to become obsessed with this practice. Richard Benyo, in an article published in Road Runners Club of Americastates that “there is a negative side to the practice of physical exercise that, little by little, insidiously, can replace the positive effect.”
Runnorexia is a harmful pattern of behavior linked to dependence on the habit of running as a form of physical exercise This dependence reaches the point of becoming a true obsession and a series of routines that harm the physical and mental health of the person, due to the time dedicated to this practice and the concerns it generates around it, normally linked to intention to stay in shape and enjoy good health, and/or to look good and in accordance with the canons of beauty.
Therefore, it is a problem that, although it does not constitute a psychopathology in itself, can be caused by a disorder and must be treated in psychotherapy. In the psychologist’s consultation it is possible to intervene in the deficiency of self-esteem that is usually at the root of this alteration, as well as help the person to get rid of harmful beliefs about health and well-being.
Running addiction is not the same as overtraining
runnorexia is not the same as overtrain The obsession with running can lead an individual to train too much, which can cause overtraining. The symptoms of overtraining are short-term, and have to do with the recovery and rest period. In this sense, it can be said that runnorexia is linked to overtraining syndrome.
Runnorexia or running addiction, on the other hand, is a loss of perspective on the role of physical exercise in a person’s life While a person may suffer a period of overtraining because an important competition is approaching and they have poorly planned their set-up, a person with runnorexia suffers from a more serious problem. In this case, there are important psychological aspects: irrational beliefs, low self-esteem, etc.
In addition to these aspects, the social factors They are a source of this disorder, since culture and social pressure for aesthetics and image play an important role in the development of this pathology. On the other hand, some experts also affirm that there are biological factors that cause this addiction, since there seems to be a connection between the pleasurable chemicals that the brain releases when engaging in physical activity (endorphins, dopamine, etc.) and this disorder, just as occurs with drug addiction. That is, the reinforcement brain area is involved in addictive and obsessive behaviors and is also involved in runnorexia.
The psychologist Eduardo Carreño, in an interview for the newspaper Asturias 24explains: “There are two types of addictions: addictions to substances (drugs) and to behaviors (addiction to work, shopping, sports, etc.).” As we see, the case of the addiction to going for a run is a addiction to an activity and the pleasure generated by the practice in question.
Symptoms presented by the person with runnorexia
The person with runnorexia overvalues running, making it the most important element of their life even above family, friends, work, etc.
He is capable of canceling appointments or skipping work so he can go for a run. Fatigue or injuries do not prevent him from carrying out his training sessions, since the discomfort he feels if he does not carry out these sessions is greater than him. His free time is meant for running, and his life moves with a single idea in his head : running.
The symptoms presented are identical to those addicted to any type of physical exercise (for example, fitness). These symptoms appear when the person cannot perform physical activity, and can be: anxiety, depression or irritability.
