Movement in Eating Disorder Recovery
Movement can be very formative to building a connection with your body, especially in eating disorder recovery. Clients with eating disorders often transform their relationship with movement during their recovery. There’s more to learn about the relationship between movement and eating disorder recovery.
By: Rebekah Paster
What does movement have to do with eating disorder recovery?
Many eating disorder symptoms develop as a means for people to disconnect from their bodies. Although the trauma underneath the eating disorder often differs from person to person, eating disorder patients tend to avoid their bodies in order to protect themselves from the emotions, beliefs, and/or experiences that led the eating disorder to develop in the first place. Mindful, purposeful movement can help patients reconnect with their bodies and work through the trauma beneath the eating disorder’s symptoms.
What might movement during recovery look like?
Here at BALANCE, clients participate in groups such as Yoga Therapy, Dance and Movement Therapy, and Drama Therapy to help them reconnect with their bodies. Clients have ample space during these groups to explore their relationships with movement and to process any thoughts or emotions that might arise. As clients progress through treatment, they might begin incorporating some of the activities from these groups into their lives outside of the program.
Does this mean that I can exercise during the recovery process?
Movement outside of the program varies from person to person. During the early stages of recovery, many clients tend to take a break from exercise in order to focus on adjusting to their meal plan. However, as you progress through treatment, you and your treatment team might discuss ways to reintegrate movement into your life. Movement in recovery will be an ongoing discussion between you, your case manager, your dietitian, and your outpatient team.
BALANCE eating disorder treatment center™’s clinical treatment team has extensive experience helping clients through recovery-oriented movement. Our admissions team is happy to answer any questions you may have about BALANCE’s programs. Read more about our philosophy here or book a free consultation call with our admissions team below to discuss the next steps.
This post was written by BALANCE intern, Rebekah Paster.
Rebekah is a second-year MSW student at the Columbia School of Social Work, where she specializes in Advanced Clinical Social Work Practice. She is passionate about eating disorder recovery and plans to pursue a career in eating disorder treatment after graduation. Outside of school, Rebekah enjoys cooking and mindful movement.