Movement In Eating Disorder Recovery
Exercise is unfortunately often seen as a punishment or a way to change your body. Because of this, many people with eating disorders have unhealthy or obsessive relationships with exercise and movement. Being mindful about how exercise makes you feel and finding new ways to move your body can be helpful as you’re embarking on this journey.
By: Samreen Khan
Movement in eating disorder recovery can be a tricky topic to breach. Because exercise is commonly used as punishment for many individuals with eating disorders, it’s difficult to view it in any other way. In the past, you may have exercised solely out of obligation rather than pleasure. In our society, exercise is often seen as a catalyst for weight loss – it’s nothing more than a way to change one’s body. But exercise and movement can, and should, be so much more than simply a means to an end. Instead of serving to change your body, it should allow you to further care for your body and mind.
If your doctor and other health professionals have instructed you to refrain from engaging in movement outside of what is necessary, make sure to follow their instructions. For many people, a period without exercise is essential to ameliorate their recovery. If you feel guilty about not exercising, remember that you’re in a healing process and should not be applying the same rules to yourself as you do to everyone else. If someone were recovering from a broken leg, they wouldn’t be expected to run every day; in the same way, your body may need time to rest and repair itself from whatever damage the eating disorder has caused it.
When you feel ready to approach exercise again, try to look at it as an activity instead of a tool to punish yourself or change your body. Focus on the aspect of moving in itself instead of the results the movement will produce. Healthy movement doesn’t have to be intense exercise. For example, a great way to get in touch with your body is by stretching, as it’s an activity that allows you to explore your body’s capabilities in a way but is generally not associated with modifying the way you look.
You shouldn’t be forcing yourself to exercise in a way that doesn’t bring you joy. What’s the point of doing something that feels like a chore if it brings you no fulfillment in the end? Finding creative ways to move can help you break out of the mindset that movement is a way to change or punish yourself. When I was recovering, I started doing martial arts, which focused on one’s connection with their body and building up the strength (mental and physical) to defend themselves. A good example of mindful, healthy movement is seen in young children before they are bombarded with disordered concepts. They go out and play games like tag because they want to, not because they feel an obligation to or wish to change the way they look. Similar to the way we played as children, it can be helpful to engage in more social activities. To take the focus off yourself and your body, invite friends or family to go for a walk or a hike. In addition to having company, being outside can allow you to focus on the scenery around you and enjoy the moment rather than be preoccupied with any disordered thoughts. Even things like gardening can provide a newfound appreciation for your body’s abilities.
Exercise and movement should be something you do of your own accord. It doesn’t have to be structured or planned – if you were going to go swimming but end up not feeling up to it, don’t force yourself into it. Perhaps you’ve been sitting at home and need to clear your mind with a walk or a jog. The bottom line is to listen to your body and be in tune with how it’s feeling. Movement is supposed to make you feel more alive, not leave you feeling lethargic.
At BALANCE eating disorder treatment center™, our compassionate, highly skilled team of clinicians is trained in diagnosing and treating the spectrum of eating disorders, including anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, compulsive overeating, and other disordered eating behaviors and body image issues. In addition to our full-time Day Treatment Program and Weeknight Intensive Outpatient Program, we offer high-quality programming, individual nutrition counseling, meal supports, and various other groups and resources to help those seeking help for food concerns.
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This post was written by BALANCE Blog Contributor, Samreen Khan (she/her/he/him).
Samreen is a senior high school student with an ardent drive to de-stigmatize mental illness and eating disorders. Born and raised in the Bay Area, she experienced the harmful effects of “fitspo” culture firsthand for most of her childhood. Throughout her own recovery journey, she became passionate about deconstructing diet culture and raising awareness about eating disorders in her everyday life. Samreen began extending her own ideology of intuitive eating and body neutrality to others by publishing her own writing online when she was fourteen, and has since received several awards for her prose and poetry. She has conducted research on the biological and evolutionary implications of familial mental illness, and is currently taking college-level Sociology and Psychology courses with hopes to delve further into the social and cultural constructs that bolster disordered eating, especially within marginalized communities. She’s grateful for the opportunity to combine two of her strongest passions — writing and mental health — by working with BALANCE!