{"id":1372,"date":"2023-02-13T07:41:20","date_gmt":"2023-02-13T14:41:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/ucan\/?p=1372"},"modified":"2023-02-13T07:41:52","modified_gmt":"2023-02-13T14:41:52","slug":"when-exercise-isnt-healthy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/ucan\/when-exercise-isnt-healthy\/","title":{"rendered":"When Exercise Isn’t Healthy"},"content":{"rendered":"

You’ve heard about the benefits of regular exercise, like reduced disease risk and improved mental health. For most, exercise improves physical and mental health. It’s a good thing.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"However, as someone who has worked with D1 collegiate athletes as a licensed and certified athletic trainer, I have also witnessed firsthand the underbelly of the fitness world. <\/span>Disordered exercise is often praised and glorified in our world, especially within the fitness realm (e.g., \u201cNo pain, no gain\u201d). <\/span><\/p>\n

Common issues I\u2019ve seen working with \u201cdedicated\u201d athletes over the years include: feeling anxious, distressed, or guilty if they miss a workout, working out even when very sick, skipping social events to get a run or lift in, experiencing stress fractures or hormone imbalances from over-exercise, using their sport\/activity of choice to punish themselves for eating certain foods, etc.<\/span><\/p>\n

So what makes exercise healthy? And what moves exercise from a healthy outlet to a disordered compulsion you HAVE to do? Let\u2019s dive in!<\/span><\/p>\n

Does exercise feel like punishment? Something you do because the media tells you\u00a0 \u201cit\u2019s healthy\u201d? Or something you feel like you must do to burn off the extra calories you ate last night?<\/span><\/p>\n

Here are signs of a healthy relationship with exercise:<\/p>\n