She says addiction, I think I'm being healthy.

[Onthewrongsideof30]

My best friend made a comment on a night out to our greater circle of friends...... oh '30' has a completely addictive personality, look at her with exercise that's a completely unhealthy relationship. I never for one second thought I had an unhealthy relationship with exercise, I thought I was just keeping myself fit and based by other fitness threads on here my activity levels are normal. HIIT - 5 days per week, 5km park run Saturday (longer run on top if I can), one interval training session in the evening. I always try to rest on a Sunday. Who is right? When is a hobby an addiction?

Yes I think any behaviour can exhibit an addictive pattern.

But as I said above it’s the impact on your life that's important. If your relationship with excercise is healthy and it’s not causing issues elsewhere in your life then crack on. I’m currently almost immobile due to spd and I would love to be capable of going for a run again - it’s going to take a long time for me to recover (going on last pregnancy) and that makes me feel very sad. I love running and excercise and I miss it.

Mygast you can exercise at home without dvds. You could for example just do 10 sit ups and press ups a day. You can walk every where. You can take stairs rather than lifts. You can walk up escalators. You can run around like mad in the park with your kids. There is always room for exercise.

One of my closest friends sounds a bit like you op, and I’ve worried about her for about the last 9 years. Be careful you’re not playing down how much you ‘need’ rather than ‘like’ to exercise and fuel properly. No it doesn’t necessarily mean sugar or junk. But proper calories, fats, fuel.

I do a lot of training. If you are doing HIIT 5 times a week you aren't doing it properly (hard enough). HIIT should be full on and leave you knackered after. You need recovery time after HIIT so they recommend you don't do it more than 2 or 3 times a week.

She's jealous. You doing what you do makes her feel bad which is her problem. Don't discuss it with her

I think the fact you’re not replying to the questions asking if you have an addictive personality, or how you feel if you have to miss exercise for an event (not sickness or in preparation for a sporting event) suggests to me your friend may be tactless, and have a point.

A few weeks someone on here posted that they exercised 7 hours everyday. They were told this was perfectly normal..
I think 6 days a week is a bit ott personally.

@ProperLavs HITT sessions are 30 minutes. The OP is doing 5 of those a week which is 2.5 hours.

It's true re doing hiit properly too. if I got all out my legs are jelly by the end. I really notice if i do more than 5 sessions a week. I am exhausted and need proper recovery time.

Hiit sessions don't have to be 30 minutes, infact done properly they wouldn't be thirty minutes. the whole point with hiit is that it is extremely intense . You can't do extremely intense for 30 minutes.

I think 6 days a week is a bit ott personally.

Really? Why?

If she genuinely felt you had a problem, then surely as a friend she'd talk to you one to one about it?

Making snide comments to a wider group of friends just sounds like her own insecurity.

That's definitely not an addiction. That's just very healthy and self disciplined. You've got a good routine and you enjoy it.

Exercise addicition is where people give up their jobs to train all day long despite not being pro or semi pro standard. or they take loads of drugs to build muscle or stamina etc. You'd need to be exercising several hours a day for it to be a problem.

I think I am slightly addicted to exercise. I love it for my mental as well as physical well-being. I always feel better after a run, swim or spin class.
I run most days. I swam 50 lengths this morning then ran 5 miles this afternoon. Tomorrow I'll do a longer run, Thu I'll run then a spin class.
I used to weigh18 stone & running is the only thing that has kept the weight off.
I ignore arsey comments like that as I think it comes down to jealousy.

I'm literally in the middle of a weight loss regime. I have a personal trainer/coach helping me. He's incredibly experienced. We weight train together 3 times a week and then he sets me cardio for three other days. He absolutely insists on one rest day a week.

He encourages me to run races so for example I have a 10K on Sunday and have been training quite heavily for that. Once it's over I'll be doing lighter workouts on the cross trainer instead for a week or so.

The point is that I don't LOVE exercising but for now it's a necessary evil as part of my particular regime. He reckons that once I reach my goal weight I can reduce training to 4 times a week in order to maintain. I reckon that now I have got into the routine it'll remain as is. It's a great way to start the day. Would rather eat my head than exercise in the evenings.

How does this impact on the rest of your life? Do you have a family, and does it take time away from them? Are you able to meet up with and go out with your friends in the evenings or at weekends, or does exercise come ahead of all that?

Would rather eat my head than exercise in the evenings

I wish i could exercise in the mornings, running in the mroning is much easier than eves! But i have to be at the stables by 6am so i just can't fit it in

*morning

An addiction would negatively impact your life. Only you know if you're tipping over into an obsession that is controlling you and restricting every other area of your life.

Pace yourself is my advice.
My mum loves exercise, particularly running and has done since us children were small. Unfortunately as a result of following a quite punishing regime for years, she had undergone a hip and double knee replacement in her 70's and now finds her beloved exercise painful due to injuries continually flaring up.

Follow a programme that's sustainable and enjoyable rather than 'punishing'.

a lot of ppl think any exercise is too much. i do way less than that and got questioned by a family member as to why i was doing a weights class. they couldn't comprehend anyone doing that for fun or to feel stronger. I almost felt like they were attacking me for it. folks are strange. but i do agree that going on about it is just annoying so don't do that. and don't exercise when injured. but other than that, i don't see the issue. and true what a pp said about no-one thinking watching tv every day is a problem but apparently exercise is, funny that

Yes fair point Bearhunt I think "addiction" is bandied about too much in relation to normal things. I'm addicted to Box sets, Pringles, yoga, Googling pictures of Tom Hardy blah blah blah.

I've been addicted to class A drugs and it wasn't comparable to a penchant for cheese and onion crisps.

She's probably slightly jealous but I do find people who exercise every day start giving advice when not asked for and being a bit patronising so maybe she was just slapping you down a bit? If you're like that and don't realise. Probably jealousy though

The exercise evangelists who preach to convert are very tedious I must admit.

I think obsessed might be better than addicted? I’ve been through phases of being obsessed with exercise when I was trying to lose weight. I used to get quite grumpy if I missed a session and wanted to do something every day. That regime was possibly a bit obsessive because a lot of the time it was about weight loss rather than enjoying the activity.i hated running but forced myself to do it. I think if you love it and don’t have other commitments it then exercise 5/6 times a week seems quite positive and good for wellbeing. If I was a rich lady of leisure I’d spend my time doing yoga, swimming and Zumba and I don’t think anyone would call that addicted.

Now, with small children, a stressful job and a long commute I struggle to fit it in at all so I’ve gone to the other extreme of being a bit lazy. If I could get 2-3 sessions in a week I’d feel much happier.

You absolutely can exercise at home for free. After 30 years of attending aerobics/step/Zumba etc I got fed up of clubs today only offering repetitive Les Mills style classes and cancelled my membership. Now I walk between 4-10 miles a day. This is divided between outdoor walks to shops etc and also power walking in front of the telly in the evening. I put on a good box set and march away. I also have a daily target for planks and push ups which I am gradually increasing and I have several free apps with guided stretch, Pilates and yoga routines. You don’t need money to exercise.