Runner’s fitness addiction led to anxiety, sleep loss — SkimNews
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- Wayne Davies became consumed by running, progressing from casual jogs to 75-mile ultra-races, and fixated on performance data and social media comparisons, which eroded his sleep and mental health.
- Wayne Davies experienced a heart scare during training that led to a diagnosis of atrial fibrillation, deepening his anxiety and prompting him to recognize his running habits as an addiction.
- Wayne Davies sought help through his GP and enrolled in the NHS Wales SilverCloud Space from Anxiety programme, a 12-week cognitive behavioural therapy course that helped him manage obsessive thoughts.
- Zaheen Ahmed reported a rise in fitness addiction cases, with over 57,000 people visiting her clinic’s exercise addiction page in six months, often as a substitute for substance addiction during recovery.
- Dafydd Judd warned that fitness and calorie-tracking apps can foster obsessive behaviors, describing social media as a 'double-edged sword' that promotes both motivation and unrealistic comparisons.
- Fionnuala Clayton emphasized that while exercise benefits mental health, excessive routines can harm well-being and urged people to seek support when fitness begins dominating their lives.
Why it matters: Over 57,000 people have sought help for exercise addiction in six months, signaling a growing public health concern as fitness technology and social media blur healthy habits with compulsive behavior—especially among men reluctant to seek help. This shifts the narrative from physical achievement to mental health risk.
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