Abstract
Although generally acknowledged as health enhancing, exercise has also been recognised as having the potential to become damaging. The most popular viewpoint has been that extreme exercising is a form of addiction. The current study was designed to provide an exploratory qualitative analysis of the themes underlying exercise behaviour. A total of 100 self-selected gym users were administered a questionnaire incorporating the Exercise Addiction Inventory [Terry, A., Szabo, A., & Griffiths, M.D. (2004)] and a number of open-ended questions. Results showed that 8% of the participants scored over 24 (out of 30) and were operationally defined as exercise addicts. The focus of this study was the addition of the qualitative open-ended questions exploring positive and negative experiences of exercise. These additional questions aided in making the distinction between committed exercisers and those at risk of exercise addiction clearer. Participants who were committed responded with understandable and functional psychological reasons for their exercise behaviour. Those who were identified as being at risk from exercise addiction indicated difficulties in other areas in their lives drove them to high and possibly dangerous levels of exercise.
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Warner, R., Griffiths, M.D. A Qualitative Thematic Analysis of Exercise Addiction: An Exploratory Study. Int J Ment Health Addiction 4, 13–26 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-006-9000-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-006-9000-5