There’s a
lot of emphasis on exercise in today’s culture, isn’t there? There are
countless gyms, trainers, types of equipment, programs, workout clothes and
shoes, as well as a variety of athletic activities from which to choose. It’s
overwhelming. Yet there’s still a rise in eating disorders, in childhood
obesity and Type 2 Diabetes?
It seems
that these two opposing categories of choice are battling each other, further
confusing and stressing us out.
Why is this
so? It’s too complicated for me to give a two-word explanation, obviously. Yes,
it is complicated.
But perhaps,
it has something to do with focus and priority, putting exercise and health in
a healthy balance for our lives. God tells us that, yes, there is some benefit
to exercise.
“For bodily exercise profits
little: but godliness is profitable to all things, having promise of the life
that now is, and of that which is to come.”
1 Timothy 4:8
It lowers
blood pressure, combats heart disease; it also improves circulation and mood, just
to name a few positive results.
But, like
anything used to excess, it can harm, even kill. That’s what it could have done
for me, back in the day, when I exercised for six or more hours a day, while
starving myself at the same time. Believe me; that was not God’s Will!
“For God is not a God of disorder
but of peace…”
1 Corinthians
14:33
That was not
profitable!
So what is
profitable? Moderate exercise that is a part of your life, but not your ENTIRE
life!!!! If exercise is preventing you from other people and things in your
life, to the point of disruption, that is not profitable.
Signs of Compulsive
Exercise
If you are concerned about your own
exercise habits or a friend's, ask yourself the following questions. Do you:
force yourself to exercise, even if you don't feel well?
prefer to exercise rather than being with friends?
become very upset if you miss a workout?
base the amount you exercise on how much you eat?
have trouble sitting still because you think you're not
burning calories?
worry that you'll gain weight if you skip exercising for a
day?
If the answer to any of these questions
is yes, you or your friend may have a problem. What should you do?
How to Get Help
The first thing you should do if you
suspect that you are a compulsive exerciser is get help. Talk to your parents,
doctor, a teacher or counselor, a coach, or another trusted adult. Compulsive
exercise, especially when it is combined with an eating disorder, can cause
serious and permanent health problems, and in extreme cases, death.
Because compulsive exercise is closely
related to eating disorders, help can be found at community agencies
specifically set up to deal with anorexia, bulimia, and other eating problems.
Your school's health or physical education department may also have support
programs and nutrition advice available. Ask your teacher, coach, or counselor
to recommend local organizations that may be able to help.
You should also schedule a checkup with
a doctor. Because our bodies go through so many important developments during
the teen years, guys and girls who have compulsive exercise problems need to see
a doctor to make sure they are developing normally. This is especially true if
the person also has an eating disorder. Female athlete triad, a condition that
affects girls who overexercise and restrict their eating because of their
sports, can cause a girl to stop having her period. Medical help is necessary
to resolve the physical problems associated with overexercising before they
cause long-term damage to the body.
God tells us:
“Beloved, I wish above all things
that you may prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers.”
3 John 1:2
Let’s
believe it and accept it for our lives, not just in the area of exercise, but in
everything we do!
Copyright © 2014 by
Sheryle Cruse
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