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'I was addicted to exercise'

Psychologists say exercise addiction falls under the category of behavioural addiction, in which a person's behaviour becomes obsessive, compulsive, or causes dysfunction in a person's life.

It is thought to affect about 3% of people, rising to 10% among high-performance runners.

Typically, those most vulnerable are amateur athletes, such as Valerie, seeking relief from internal distress, says consultant psychologist Dr Chetna Kang, from The Priory Hospital in north London.

"Often people come to a clinic with a relationship breakdown, anxiety, depression... but as you start to unpick that, you realise exercise is the culprit," Dr Kang says.

"It's not extremely common but it's becoming more so."

[...] Martin Turner, a sports and exercise psychologist at Manchester Metropolitan University, has worked with and studied athletes for 10 years and regularly comes across people consumed by their athletic identity.

"They form the idea that their success as an athlete reflects their worth as a human being, 'I succeed as an athlete, therefore I am valuable. I fail as an athlete, therefore I am worthless,'" he says.

"Running is now part of who you are. If you don't run, who are you?"

Mr Turner's studies show these kinds of "illogical beliefs" are associated with greater exercise dependence, depression, anger, anxiety, and burnout.

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