Gym Culture and Eating Disorders: When Working Out Does More Harm Than Good

Written By: Faith Dolan, Graduate Assistant of Outreach and Marketing, Edited by Jorgann Holgersen, Program Manager of Operations

February 27, 2026

What Is Gym Culture?

For many, going to the gym is a great way to blow off some steam or get those much-needed endorphins. It can feel good to meet goals, become stronger, and feel less stressed. Many also view working out as a way to spend time with friends or meet people who have the same goals as them. However, even though working out has many benefits, it is important to know when it becomes harmful.

​Gym culture involves “a set of behaviors, norms, and ideologies found in gyms and other fitness spaces, both in person and online” (Konstantinosky, 2025). Many view gym culture as a way to find support and encouragement. However, this culture can perpetuate unhealthy behaviors, mindsets, and routines that do more harm than good. When it places extra emphasis on calorie counting, calorie burning, weight, and physical appearance, it can lead to the development of eating disorders.

​What Is an Eating Disorder?

​Eating disorders are serious conditions that can affect every aspect of someone’s life. Even though all eating disorders involve concerns related to food, weight, or body image, they are incredibly complex and present differently for everyone who struggles with one (Mayo Clinic, 2023). There are also many types of eating disorders, including anorexia nervosa, binge eating disorder, bulimia, avoidant-restrictive food intake disorder, orthorexia, and more.

​Our society also tends to view exercise as a cookie-cutter approach to “make up” for eating certain foods or to look a certain way. However, this does not consider the several factors that make up the way someone’s body looks, with exercise being just one of those factors. It is important to understand that genetics, metabolism, bone density, height, medications, age, and health conditions all influence body shape and size (Harrison, 2020). If everyone ate and exercised the exact same way, then their bodies would still look different. However, toxic gym culture tends to only value and praise a specific body type, which ultimately supports tying one’s worth to their physical appearance. This can create stigma that shames certain body types, and, in turn, leads to eating disorder behaviors and beliefs (Konstantivosky, 2025).

​Overexercising

Despite contrary belief, too much exercise can actually be harmful to the body. Many eating disorders involve overexercising and an obsession with burning calories through working out. Here are some signs of overexercising:

• Prioritizing exercise over work, school, social outings, and sleep
• Exercising at inappropriate times and feeling unable to stop
• Spending an excessive amount of time exercising every day (3+ hours)
• Exercising while sick or injured
• Experiencing significant distress when you are unable to exercise (Eating Disorders Victoria, 2025)

Unfortunately, toxic gym culture often rewards these behaviors and treats them as signs that someone is “making gains” or meeting their goals. Normalizing these behaviors ultimately sustains this culture and makes it difficult for individuals to know when their exercise is more harmful than helpful.

​Toxic Gym Culture

When gym culture shifts from fun exercise to looking a certain way, it becomes toxic. Ironically, the overexercise, yo-yo dieting, and restrictive eating associated with gym culture tend to offset the perceived benefits of extreme exercise (Harrison, 2020). Michelle Konstantinovosky (2025) explains how it is important to be able to identify examples of harmful and unhealthy habits encouraged by gym culture:

• ​Tracking weight loss and calories
• Adopting a “no pain, no gain” mindset that encourages working out even when something hurts or when you are injured
• Being perfectionistic about your workout schedule
• Being on a very strict diet or restricting
• Tying one’s self-worth to their ability to be lean and muscular
• Forming cliques based on looks

These toxic mindsets can also encourage comparison. Some may try to look exactly like a fitness guru on Instagram instead of trying to become their strongest self. Others may push themselves too hard to do workouts they see others doing, or feel insecure during group workout classes. This culture of comparison can foster low self-worth, reduced mental health, and increased unhealthy behaviors related to eating or working out.

Working out doesn’t have to be tear-inducing or make you hate the way you look. Beneficial exercise involves finding a unique and tailored plan that meets your body’s needs and accommodates the body you are in now–not the body that you wish you had. By using joyful movement, we can make working out fun, stress-relieving, and beneficial for the body.

Joyful Movement

According to registered dietitian Sarah Glinski (2024), joyful movement is the opposite of toxic gym culture. It involves exercising in a way that brings joy and prioritizes overall well-being. It also views all types of movement as equally beneficial. Finding forms of joyful movement involves working with your own interests and finding something that is enjoyable. This may involve going on walks with friends, dancing in your room, walking your dog, taking a relaxing yoga class, playing your favorite sport, or going on a morning jog while listening to your favorite artist. Here, you can still reap the benefits of exercise and movement without obsessive calorie tracking, constant weigh-ins, or trying to punish your body.

Joyful movement also considers how your body’s needs vary day to day. It emphasizes choice and using your intuition to determine what is best for your body, whether that means pushing yourself through a few hours of hiking or taking a day of rest (Schuldt, 2021). Overall, this practice helps us stay in tune with our bodies and reap the long-term benefits of daily, intuitive, and intentional movement.

It is also important to incorporate mindfulness into joyful exercise. Mindfulness allows you to focus on the sensations, feelings, and thoughts that you are experiencing in the present (Schuldt, 2021). With mindfulness, you can monitor how you feel while exercising and learn to be more in tune with yourself. It can also help you learn what activities bring more peace, comfort, and stress relief!

Help Is Always Available.

By learning about the connection between eating disorders and gym culture, we can educate ourselves and those around us, thereby promoting healthy behaviors and mindsets around exercise. Together, we can challenge the culture that equates someone’s worth to how they look.

At the end of this blog, there are several local and national resources that provide support to those who may need extra support. Remember, if you are struggling with toxic gym culture or an eating disorder, you never have to face it alone.

References 

Columbia Psychiatry. (2024, October 7). When exercise becomes too much of a good thing. Columbia University Department of Psychiatry. 

Eating Disorders Victoria. (2025, August 28). Eating disorders and exercise. Eating Disorders Victoria.

Glinski, S. (2025, January 3). A beginner’s Guide to Joyful Movement. Sarah Glinski Writing Services. 

Harrison, C. (2020). Anti-diet: Reclaim your time, money, well-being, and happiness through intuitive eating. Findaway World, LLC.

Konstantinovsky, M. (2025, December 29). Gym culture can contribute to eating disorders. here’s how. Equip Health. 

 Mayo Clinic. (2023, March 28). Eating disorders. Mayo Clinic.

 Schuldt, E. (2022, January 5). How to find joy in exercise. Kendall Reagan Nutrition Center. 

Resources  

Center for Students in Addiction Recovery
806.742.2891| hs.webmaster@ttu.edu

Student Counseling Center
806.742.3674 | studentcounselingcenter@ttu.edu | Student Wellness Center 201

Student Mental Health Community
806.834.6717 | heather.frazier@ttu.edu | Weeks Hall 2nd floor

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