CAN YOU IDENTIFY WITH ANY OF THE FOLLOWING?

Characteristics of Exercise Dependence

Tolerance: Needing more and more of the activity to achieve the desired effect or a diminished effect with the same amount of exercise.

Withdrawal: Feelings of anxiety, fatigue and crawling out of one's skin when unable to workout as planned. Symptoms are relieved when exercise is resumed.

Intention effect: Unable to stick to the amount of time intended to exercise or unable to adhere to the planned intensity.

Lack of control: Unable to keep physical activity at a manageable level. Experiences intrusive thoughts about exercise. Daydreaming and planning exercise while at work or school. Unable to stay present while engaging in social situations because of thoughts of exercising.

Time: A substantial amount of time is devoted to daily exercise. For example; physical activity vacations, exercising in the middle of the night in order to fit it in.

Reduction in other activities: Social activities that don't involve exercise are reduced or eliminated. Relationships and work start to suffer.

Continuance: Exercise is continued despite knowledge of having a persistent or recurrent physical or psychological problem that is likely to have been caused or exacerbated by the exercise. For example; suffering from an eating disorder, exercising in spite of diagnosed fractures/injuries or against medical advice.

The above information was adapted from THE EXERCISE DEPENDENCE SCALE - 21 Hausenblas, H. & Symons Downs, D. (2002)

WHAT IS OSTEOPOROSIS?

WHAT IS OSTEOPENIA?

Osteopenia is defined as low bone mass. It is diagnosed by having a DEXA scan which is a specialized scan that determines the density of the bone. If your T-scores are -1.0 to -2.4 you are categorized as having osteopenia. This is significant because osteopenia can lead to osteoporosis. The important thing about early diagnosis is you can take steps to improve your bone density at this stage. It is reversible!

WHAT IS OSTEOPOROSIS?

Osteoporosis is a medical condition in which the bones become fragile and brittle from the loss of tissue. This is typically due to hormonal changes, inadequate nutrition resulting in low BMI, low calcium and Vitamin D levels. This is also diagnosed by a DEXA scan. The T scores of -2.5 or less indicates osteoporosis. This is serious as your risk of fracturing a bone is very high. It is very important to follow your physician’s recommendations to reduce your risk of fracture.

I will work with your physician and dietician to develop an exercise program that is therapeutic as well as fun. With your consent, I will keep them informed of your progress and implement their recommendations in order to improve strength, bone density and balance.

TAKE THE TEST

EXERCISE DEPENDENCE SCALE-21 Hausenblas & Symons Downs (2002)

Instructions: Using the scale provided below, please complete the following questions as honestly as possible. The questions refer to the current exercise beliefs and behaviors that have occurred in the past 3 months. Please place your answer in the blank space provided after each statement.

1 2 3 4 5 6

Never Always

1. I exercise to avoid feeling irritable. _____

2. I exercise despite recurring physical problems. _____

3. I continually increase my exercise intensity to achieve the desired effects/benefits. _____

4. I am unable to reduce how long I exercise. _____

5. I would rather exercise than spend time with family/friends. _____

6. I spend a lot of time exercising. ____

7. I exercise longer than I intend. ____

8. I exercise to avoid feeling anxious. _____

9. I exercise when injured. _____

10. I continually increase my exercise frequency to achieve the desired effects/benefits. _____

11. I am unable to reduce how often I exercise. _____

12. I think about exercise when I should be concentrating on school/work. ____

13. I spend most of my free time exercising. _____

14. I exercise longer than I expect. _____

15. I exercise to avoid feeling tense. _____

16. I exercise despite persistent physical problems. _____

17. I continually increase my exercise duration to achieve the desired effects/benefits. _____

18. I am unable to reduce how intense I exercise. _____

19. I choose to exercise so I can get out of spending time with family/friends. _____

20. A great deal of my time is spent exercising. _____

21. I exercise longer than I plan. _____

Angie Lockwood, Exercise Consultant

CAN YOU IDENTIFY WITH ANY OF THE FOLLOWING?

Characteristics of Exercise Dependence

Symptoms of Exercise Addiction

WHAT IS OSTEOPOROSIS?

TAKE THE TEST

EXERCISE DEPENDENCE SCALE-21 Hausenblas & Symons Downs (2002)

Exercise Addiction Definition

REFERENCES