Exercising to the point that it becomes harmful to the body is called exercise bulimia. This recently diagnosed eating disorder is characterized by people who are worried about their caloric intake, so they exercise excessively to purge themselves of the extra calories, according to CNN correspondent Janine Sharell.
The best way to stay healthy and fit is to exercise and eat in moderation. Too much of anything is unhealthy, including working out at the gym.
A healthy work out routine consists of a mixture of weight training and cardiovascular exercise. Red Smith, a personal trainer at Golds Gym in Burlington, recommends that college students spend three days a week working with weights, one day on cardio and three days of rest for the body to recover.
He also recommended that work out sessions not last more than 75 minutes. He said 45 minutes to an hour for exercise is the best.
Eric Hall, an associate professor of exercise sports science, also said students should follow the national guidelines on fitness, which suggests people should work out for 20 to 60 minute sessions for moderate intensity aerobics so that the heart rate is up to about 120 to 150 beats per minute based on weight and body mass.
He also suggested that students only work out three to five days so that they can have a few recovery days.
Moderate intensity work out sessions include cycling, walking briskly, working out on machines at the gym like the elliptical and treadmill, jogging or swimming.
Moderate intensity aerobics really includes anything that gets your heart rate up, Hall said.
Keeping things simple and mixing them up helps keep the fun in exercising.
Letting muscles recover on those days off keeps you from being burned out, Smith said. Its like going to school, if you over do it, you can get burned out instead of enjoying it.
Smith can relate to students who might work out excessively. He used to start working out at 5:30 a.m., go to the gym to train people and then work out after work. He was training for body building competitions and never took a break.
It was an addiction, Smith said. No matter what I did, it wasnt enough. I wanted to win it all. Plus I was starting to look really good.
Eventually he realized he was gaining weight instead of losing it. He was taking on fluid in his chest and suffered from congestive heart failure.
Luckily I knew my body and realized something was wrong. Thats when I had to cut back on working out. All it took was one scare, Smith said.
He also suggests that men be aware of their competitive nature that might drive them to work out too much.
Hall sees exercise bulimia as more of an exterior issue.
Its common in most places where appearance is valued, he said. It can be found across college campuses nation wide, but theres not much evidence for it.
Peter Tulchinsky, campus recreation director, also thinks the disorder is hard to spot.
More than 17,900 people use the Elon fitness center in a month, averaging about 600 visitors to the gym a day. Of those estimated 600 visitors to the fitness center, Tulchinsky might see 5 to 10 repeat
students.
Its not a big problem, he said. A few students, maybe three or four might look completely different by the end of the year. But its really hard to tell. The perception is really off.
He also said exercise bulimia would be really hard to spot because of all the different ways a student can work out on their own.
A student might workout here at the fitness center and then work out on their own by running or doing sit-ups and pushups in their room and then possibly taking a class over at Golds Gym. Its hard to tell if I only see students once a day, Tulchinsky said.
As tough as it is to spot exercise bulimics, Smith thinks that most Americans suffer from a lack of exercise instead of too much exercise.
I think it really goes the other way, Smith said. Most people only work out two to three times and then they quit. They sit at their desks all day and think walking around the office is exercise, but that is not getting the heart rate up and working the muscles. We are really a lazy society.
Keeping a regular, balanced workout routine is a good thing. Keeping an excessive workout routine without any days to recooperate can be harmful. Balance is the key to leading any healthy lifestyle. Finding a beneficial mix of healthy eating, sleeping and exercise will help you lead a more fit lifestyle.
If you think you have exercise bulimia or need to find a balance in your life, do not hesitate to call the R.N. Ellington Health Center at 278-7280 to make an appointment with a counselor.