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How to Navigate Exercise During Eating Disorder Recovery
Some pointers from a former compulsive exerciser, bulimia survivor, and certified eating disorder recovery coach.
For many, exercise has evolved from being a form of pleasure and self-care to a cold-blooded act of self-torture. This is certainly the case for many of my clients in eating disorder recovery (and was also once the case for me).
Movement of the body is now merely a mode of manipulating it to reach a desired weight, shape, or size.
Sometimes this means abiding by a rigid exercise routine, irrespective of a busy schedule or a body that’s yearning for rest.
Sometimes this means doing extra to punish oneself and make up for eating a banned food.
Almost always, this means the joy of movement, and engaging in it for purposes of health and well-being, is gone.
The reassuring news? It’s not gone forever — or at least it doesn’t have to be. By taking a few key steps (that don’t involve a step counter), you can find peace, balance, and even joy in moving your body again.
#1. First and Foremost, Consult Your Treatment Team (if You Have One)
If you’re already in treatment for an eating disorder (hats off to you, if yes), it’s important to discuss your relationship with exercise with your primary care provider, dietitian, therapist, and/or recovery coach. Based on various factors, these individuals can help you determine:
If you should be exercising at all right now
Oof, this can be so, so tough, but you may need to temporarily stop exercising altogether. I fell into this camp, and, to be completely honest, I was pretty pissed off when I entered it.
But until my labs all came back normal and my body was replenished with the nutrients it had long been lacking, adding more stress to my body through exercise was actually quite dangerous.
One thing that’s easy to forget is that exercise is a privilege. Only those in physically able bodies can and should engage in it. So make your new mission to heal your…
