Why Rest Feels Hard: Midlife Training, Anxiety & Identity with Erin Ayala, PhD, LP, CMPC (Episode 259)

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Jan 28, 2026

Erin Ayala, PhD, LP, CMPC — a sports psychologist who helps athletes with performance, anxiety, identity, and recovery. She discusses when dedication becomes compulsion, signs like tolerance and interference, links to perfectionism and midlife challenges, how coaches and boundaries can help, and the role of training culture and alternative coping strategies.

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INSIGHT

Exercise Can Be Compulsive Without A Label

Exercise addiction isn't an official diagnosis but resembles compulsive behavior causing loss of control.
Look for increasing need, interference with life, and distress when unable to exercise as key indicators.

ANECDOTE

Running Replaced Smoking For Erin

Erin Ayala replaced smoking with running and rapidly progressed from 5Ks to marathons within a year.
She frames that shift as an unhealthy coping strategy rather than a formal addiction when it didn't impair other life areas.

INSIGHT

Reward Biology Meets Perfectionism

Biological reward systems (endorphins, dopamine) reinforce exercise and create conditioned responses.
Perfectionism, anxiety, body-image, and comparison-driven motives often interact with that biology to escalate compulsive exercise.

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Exercise is supposed to be healthy—but when does dedication cross into compulsion? In this episode, we sat down with sports psychologist and new host of the Feisty Women’s Performance Podcast, Dr. Erin Ayala to explore the murky, often misunderstood concept of exercise addiction. We unpack why it’s not an official diagnosis, how it overlaps with perfectionism, anxiety, body image, and control, and why endurance athletes—especially midlife women—can be uniquely vulnerable. We also dive into identity, boundaries, training culture, and how to tell whether exercise is supporting your life—or quietly running it.

Erin Ayala, PhD, LP, CMPC is a Licensed Psychologist and Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC) offering virtual mental health therapy for athletes aged 14 and above. She provides one-on-one performance coaching, CMPC mentorship, clinical supervision, and group workshops for teams and sport organizations. She supports athletes in injury recovery, managing performance anxiety, depression, pre-competition stress, confidence, and self-criticism. Located in Minnesota, she is licensed to work with athletes in 40 states. You can learn more about Dr. Ayala and her work at www.skadisportpsychology.com.

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