First, I want to start by emphasizing that while I have personally been through eating disorder recovery, I by no means consider myself to be a medical expert on the subject. If you are currently going through recovery and have a professional recovery team, their opinion takes first place and though it might be frustrating they know best.
Second, my perspective is from that of anorexia nervosa, and not every person battling an eating disorder may relate or benefit from each piece of advice! So I would encourage you to take what you need and leave what you don’t!
One of the key components of my eating disorder was an obsession with exercise. Perhaps it was because my eating disorder began from a simple plan to eat better and athletically improve my soccer performance for the upcoming season, or perhaps it is just the nature of the beast. Regardless there were many days and nights that I pushed my body farther than was healthy due to the dreadful and imposing voice of my eating disorder pushing me to not only use exercise inappropriately as a compensatory mechanism [something used to burn off calories consumed], but as something that took from my life and was aimed at changing my body.
I had a distorted relationship with exercise there was no way around that – and so in therapy it was something we addressed and over the last eight years I have worked to slowly improve and so I have developed a list of 7 top recommendations for handling exercise in eating disorder recovery.
Before we get into that what are the signs of compulsive or unhealthy exercise that may indicate a need for help? [2]
Intense anxiety, irritability, or anger when unable to exercise.
Feeling uncomfortable resting or taking a day off.
Using exercise to purge or compensate for caloric intake.
Exercising in secret or hiding the extent of exercise.
Using exercise exclusively as a means of changing your body because you have a poor body image.
Maintaining a rigid schedule, not allowing flexibility.
Exercising despite injury, poor weather, illness, or extreme fatigue.
7 Tips for Handling Exercise in Eating Disorder Recovery
If your provider recommends that you temporarily refrain from exercise – listen to them.
Why? It might seem like they are enforcing this restriction to make you miserable or to punish your eating disorder and force it into submission. However, there is scientific
reasoning behind their limitations. Firstly, continuing to exercise, especially if you are in
a state of malnourishment [and I do NOT mean underweight as you can be
malnourished at any weight], can worsen your eating disorder mentally and lead to
further physical complications. Your safety is NOT worth a few extra minutes of exercise.
I know refraining from exercise will be hard, those compulsions are incredibly hard to
ignore and ED does not make disobedience pain free, but now is the time to work with
your body not against it.
When you decide to resume exercise, also head the advice of the professionals and do not rush back into it.
Your body needs a minute to readjust to exercise and your brain needs a minute to
learn how to reframe the idea of exercise in your brain. So getting back into exercise
WILL NOT look like running 6 miles again right off the back. Instead, it might look like
talking short walks, that turn into long walks, that turn into short jogs, that turn into long
jogs over the course of a few months. So when you get the caution light again:
1. Start with gentle and slower movement
2. Be patient with yourself and the changes that may have occurred. You are a
new you but a stronger and better you, you just got to give your body a minute to readjust.
3. NO NUMBERS. Do try your best to avoid using any technology that tracks
calories, keeps track of steps, miles walked, or any other number that could keep you locked into an eating disorder mentality.
Start with exercise you enjoy.
So often we restrict ourself to exercise that is unpleasurable and in which we find no joy. To help yourself escape the rigidity of your eating disorder, experiment with multiple and new types of bodily movement until you find ones which you enjoy. Then lean into those!
Don’t be afraid to set guardrails surrounding exercise.
As you might know, I have made it a habit to set limits on the number of days and the
time spent exercising each day. During my time spent with ED there were so many rules,
numbers, and regulations that swirled through my head regarding exercise. How often, how long, how many pauses, and the list goes on and on. To keep myself from
becoming too rigid with these rules I do ensure flexibility, but it has been so helpful.
Additionally, to take things out of my hands I follow a free personal trainer online –
Sydney Cummings – who has <1h workouts that vary in time, type, and intensity that
bring accountability and flexibility. It keeps those obsessions in check.
Assign a designated number of rest days to your week.
Though many gym bros workout 7 days a week I know this relentless schedule would
only worsen or trigger thoughts regarding the laziness or bad nature of a rest day. When
in reality rest days are incredibly important for optimal recovery – allowing your body to
repair itself, preventing injuries and rebuilding muscle. This only improves future
performance. Outside of designated rest days, I have also learned to skip when 1) my
body is too sore or tired, 2) I am sick, or 3) I feel an intense urge to exercise that day for
unhealthy reasons.
Use positive self-talk.
This involves me reminding myself of why I should and do actually exercise that goes
beyond losing weight or changing body shape. I remind myself it is for strength,
endurance, flexibility, stress relief, better sleep and health, etc. Regular bodily
movement has so many benefits outside of just body image – we just don’t see them promoted often.
Remember that it is all only temporary.
One day you are going to recover and you will be able to exercise freely again. Your
body just needs some time to heal.
You got this
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