Can We Be Addicted to Exercise?

You know that feeling of accomplishment after a tough, grueling workout?  The feeling that you can conquer the world even though you were lying on the ground “dying” about 10 minutes ago?  That feeling you get when you can’t help but smile on mile 8 of a 10 mile run?   These feelings come to us thanks to the body’s own exercise coping mechanism, endorphins.

Endorphins are natural chemical compounds produced by the body’s pituitary gland. Endorphins are produced during exercise, anxiety, moments of excitement and pain. Endorphins work by preventing the body’s nerve cells from producing more pain signals, leaving us with a soothing after-effect.  In addition to acting as a coping mechanism, endorphins are known to decrease appetite, induce a euphoric feeling and decrease anxiety. That’s why if you’re overly stressed or anxious about something, going on a run or working out is a great way to clear your mind and relax your nerves.

Too much of a good thing…

We’ve all heard of endurance athletes getting a “runner’s high”. As a race or event progresses, participating athletes begin to gradually lose the ability to feel pain and are often overcome with a euphoric feeling to keep going.  That’s a runner’s high (and sometimes, our RuckStars get it during our tough courses!).

This is also commonly known as being “in the zone”; think Michael Jordan in the 1997 NBA finals when he had the flu. Research has shown that the more physically fit an athlete may be, the more receptive he or she is due to effects of endorphins. Additionally, as the demand for athletic performance increases, the amount endorphins released also increases. This correlation often has two side effects; the athlete is able to train harder due to a higher tolerance for pain. The other is that the athlete is exposed to high amounts of endorphins over long periods which can lead to endorphin addiction.

Can we be addicted to running?
Like anything, if you overdo it, you run the risk of developing an addiction. Addiction is commonly just associated with drugs, alcohol and substance abuse. When in reality, our body doesn’t need outside substances, it naturally contains addictive substances. An exercise addiction for example, occurs when someone develops a chemical dependence on the endorphins released from intense physical activity.
It may not seem like a bad addiction to have, but it can have severely adverse effects on one’s health.

Most exercise addicts aren’t aware of their addiction; they just believe they are living a healthy lifestyle, which, in theory, is good. But exercise addictions are a hidden addiction and can cause someone to overwork their body, even when injured. Their reasoning behind this is that they’ll only mentally feel better when they workout.  If they don’t, a feeling of low self-worth often sets in.

Being healthy is a good thing, but being healthy to the point of obsession is very unhealthy both mentally and physically. So in some ways, exercising addictions are just as damaging as substance addictions!

So how do you avoid exercise addiction?

They key to avoiding an addiction to exercise is by being aware and finding a balance. There is no need to beat yourself up for missing a day of exercise by going extra hard the next day. Being healthy isn’t just exercise either; it’s also important to have a healthy diet!

Here at Ruckus, we believe in living a healthy lifestyle, but we also believe you should be having fun while you do it. Because if you’re not having fun, what’s the point? If you’ve noticed that your exercise routine has become a chore, it’s time to infuse it with some fun!  And luckily for you, we have just the remedy!

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Ruckus as a Stress Ball

Stress balls have been used for centuries.  In fact, these squishy, malleable balls have been used in Chinese medicine since the dawn of time.  And still today, stress balls are found in desk drawers, on nightstands, and in the anxious palms of the typical stressed-out soul. 

But why do stress balls work?  The continuous action of muscle contraction and relaxation relieves muscle tension and actually allows us to feel more relaxed and rhythmical.  Stress balls have a therapeutic value—they have been proven to help lighten mental loads and relieve bodily tension.

But squeezing a stress ball is only one way to relieve the tension and stress that pulses through the human body.  There is, in fact, be an even better way to achieve ultimate relief: exercise.

Ruckus can squeeze and smash stress away just as good as soft rubber ball out there.  Why?

Ruckus gets you away from it all

Stress knocks on our doors for many different reasons.  Disease, death in the family, work, family life and financial insecurity seem to be the biggest core areas of stress.  But when a person is in their “zone”, most of these stressors are left behind.  Exercise allows us to clear our heads and “get away from it all”. 

Muscle contraction and relaxation

The reason we love stress balls so much is because they allow the muscles in our arms to contract and relax.  But Ruckus allows for muscle contraction and relaxation on a whole new level.  Because Ruckus combines running with intense (and usually muddy) challenges, your muscles have time to relax in between our crazy obstacles.  Ruckus truly is muscle confusion at its finest.  

Ruckus is rewarding

Squeezing a stress ball can only get you so far.  Once you’re finished palming it to death, you don’t necessarily feel a burning sense of accomplishment.  But when you cross the Ruckus finish line or slide down Mount Ruckmore, we promise you will feel like a stress-free winner.    

Post-Ruckus endorphin rush

Although regular exercise does help us smash stress, mixing up workouts relieves tension even better.  If you’re bored with your routine, you may not experience the normal post-gym endorphin rush, making exercise less effective as a stress fighter than it could be.  Ruckus, on the other hand, allows you to try something new and gives you the chance to combine physical exertion with a bit of benign risk-taking. 

Many Ruckus runners sign up for our muddy obstacle courses because they want to feel that sense of accomplishment.  Others participate because their friends and family members are doing it too.  Yet others get down and dirty during Ruckus just to experience a fun weekend adventure.  But if you’re looking to sign up for something to relieve stress, clear your mind or rejuvenate your mental health, Ruckus may also be just the ticket.  Think of it as a jumbo, muddy, slippery stress ball, designed with you in mind.