Are You Addicted to Exercise?

Are you addicted to exercise?  Are you an exerciseaholic?  Many boomers would probably answer yes to both these questions. Why is that?  Oh sure, some boomers say that they exercise because it helps them keep those excess pounds off.  Others say they exercise because they are convinced that if they do and eat a carton of Greek yogurt every day, they will live forever. The real answer may be that like cigarettes and sex, exercise is a source of pleasure that some boomers (and others, of course) keep coming back to for that so called "runner's high".  And like any addiction, those addicted to exercise must up the ante by increasing the amount of exercise they perform.

In an interesting discussion in today's New York Times, several writers address the topic of exercise as an addiction. http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2013/06/24/addicted-to-endorphins?hp One of the writers points out that exercise can be a source of dopamine, a chemical  in the brain,  which provides that natural high. He acknowledges that it may well qualify as some form of addiction but that it is "well worth the risk." He urges everyone to get off the couch and exercise.  I couldn't agree with him more. As the Matthew Wilder sang in his Eighties hit, "Break My Stride," "I've got to keep on moving".