Mania and Exercise

I am wondering if anyone experiences any kind of obsessions with exercise while in a mania.
I mean, do you feel so full of energy that you want to work out a lot, maybe to get the energy out since there is a lot of it?
Or is exercise for weight loss and/or to raise dopamine levels (or what ever it does to help curb depression) the obsession.

I guess if anyone experiences this it would be different for each person.

I want to know what it is like for others if this sort of things happens with you.

I do for sure!
I have always had an exercise obsession more so when I'm manic.
in fact i use to use that mania to keep my energy level so high i could exercise for hours at a time and not have to quit. but the problem was i would get very irritable and emotional about anything and its uncontrollable. I know it seems that being over manic is better than feeling depressed even a little bit. but its worse on your body and mind to be manic and others around you can see it. My advise would be channel that energy through something productive like reading writing cleaning or working. =]

I've used exercise as a "socially acceptable" way of hurting/torturing myself. Just jogging makes me feel like I'm dying and it always has so sometimes when I feel like I need to do something bad to myself, I'll jog or run. Basically, I guess I like to use exercise as a punishment to myself for having gotten overweight and for not being able to enjoy it like everyone else seems to. I've never enjoyed it so it seems fitting, especially since I need to exercise to lose the weight.

I guess it's not quite the same as what you're talking about, but when I feel that way, it's very manic in nature.

When I am in moderate mania I will:

1. Call the doctor and report it and ask if I need to have a change or upward adjustment for my medications.

2. I cancel all appointements or outside the house activities. Because I know when I get outside the house I start making questionable decisions when going up the bellcurve.

3. I take the altered doses of medications which make me drowsy and lay down. If I can't sleep I will put on soothing music or watch a soothing show on tv.

I would not exercise because I know that my brain gets way overstimulated and not relaxed right away.

When I get manic sometimes I go on my treadmill and walk fast a while to get out some of the excess energy. It does help me at those times, but when I feel like it is getting me too hyped up, I will stop and focus on something a little calmer but just as mind engaging. I find that if I focus my full attention on something challenging for me, it helps to bring me back into a more balanced state.

Yoga calms me down a lot. And when I feel a little more hiper, I add meditation and breathing exercises. If you have an iPhone or an iPad , there's a lot of really good apps that can guide you through exercises. Pocket Yoga and Yoga HD are awesome and I use them every day.

Go to an exercise class that has a learning curve, is simple enough for you, and you think may be fun. I found this doing zumba. Simple easy steps to learn and go with the idea of not losing weight or trying to look beautiful, because God has created you already don't unecessary stress in trying to recreate what already is beautiful, God's gift "you". And by having fun and feeling joy , the thrown in plus is a trimmer you perhaps. But the greatest gift is who made you who calls you to dance for joy to him. Spanish is a wonderful nationality God reality!

This sounds just like me. I love to exercise, more so when I am in hypermania (running, weights, diet, sticking to the routine, etc) I love it and can't get enough. I am always getting into trouble with my lovely wife during these times for over-exercising and have even resorted to "secret binges" on the cross trainer whilst she goes out to the greenhouse to pot some plants (madness). It's great at the time, endless energy....great. Only when I come off of the peak do I realise that its not that important. Something else to look out for.......

I tend to try to start a workout that ends up being too much for me. At 22 I blew my knees out lifting weights that were to heavy. I've slowly gained weight ever since. However I'm starting to loose it again. Be careful of hurting your body because your mind thinks your invincible. It will screw you. Select time and weight limits or bring a friend to monitor you if you have too I guess.

PetStoreKitty, mania makes me want to exercise and then run 10 miles. Exercise helps keep you level if you do it on a regular basis which is what I try to do. Notice I said "try".

Trixie Jenkin,

I know exactly what youre saying, I have been doing like double zumba workouts and my knee is killing me I'm walking funny. And it is taking applied thought to stop myself from keeping going, but I really have to stop in order to not wind up in surgery for torn cartilage or something else.. ***kzoey

I have to exercise my brain when I'm manic. Also, I try to meditate...I stopped over a decade ago. I thought it would be like riding a bike; you never really forget.

Since my bipolar diagnosis (dx), everything is just a little bit different & sometimes quite a bit. I hate the word "moderation" & I struggle w/BALANCE in my life period.

My moods aren't balanced, my sleep isn't, etc, etc...& I'm 44, can't do it (exercise) like I was 25! "No pain, no gain" does not apply anymore. Unless, like you said, i want to go to the hospital.

Its like why can't I exercise for 45mins to an hour a day? Instead I go all out for 3hrs! I know this is not healthy behavior; I have a degree in (behavioral) psychology for crying out loud. It doesn't work when I attempt to apply it to myself.

In fact, it helps to remind me of how important it is to be in therapy (individual & group).

-kby-

Best of luck!!!