Ask the Team: Can you exercise while working on your relationship with food and your body?
Welcome to the first post of a new blog segment coming your way each month called Ask the Team! This is a chance for CCN team members to share their answers and insights into some commonly asked questions. Today, Lizzie is covering whether or not exercise is appropriate while working on your relationship with food and your body. Take it away, Lizzie!
Can you exercise while working on your relationship with food and your body?
The short answer is yes and no. For starters, it’s important to evaluate your current relationship to exercise, by answering a few of these questions.
What is your primary reason for engaging in exercise? What are you hoping to accomplish through exercise?
How do you feel before and after exercise mentally, emotionally, and physically?
Do you feel open to working on your relationship with exercise and learning how to have a renewed relationship with moving your body?
It has been all the buzz lately with eating disorder treatment research; if you can and how much you should allow exercise while engaging in eating disorder treatment. We have come a long way in understanding the impact of engaging in exercise + eating disorder treatment simultaneously. The biggest thing that stood out to me from the get-go is if we are going to intentionally work on our relationship and beliefs around food and body image, why can’t we also do the same thing with our relationship to exercise? That could also look like recognizing that a relationship could need a break - meaning we may need to step away from engaging in movement for a season or period of time!
There is ample research (although we still need more!) suggesting that movement can actually support eating disorder outcomes and prevent relapse. A study titled “Exercise in the care of patients with anorexia nervosa: a systematic review of the literature” demonstrated that nutritionally supported exercise interventions do not compromise weight gain and are associated with improvements in quality of life and strength (Moola F., Gairdner S., Amara C).
Dr. Gaudiani wrote in her book titled Sick Enough, “Asking patients not to do physical activity during recovery unwittingly reinforces their eating disorder perception that movement is for burning calories.” We are missing the mark when we are not engaging in conversation around our relationship to exercise and helping our clients evolve their thinking around movement.
I think the concern for prescribing exercise or allowing exercise during treatment is largely impacted by the belief that exercise is solely used for weight loss. However; it's our job as clinicians to challenge that narrative! For the vast majority of clients struggling with an eating disorder - it is acceptable to engage in movement as long as it is medically appropriate - meaning medical stability is present and it is not negatively impacting your physical or mental health.
It is ideal to have a plan for movement just as it is important to have a plan for eating our meals. This plan could look something like writing out your schedule for the week and then plugging in which days you’d like to have as rest days, which days you'd like to engage in exercise, for how long, and what kind. This is the perfect opportunity to challenge and evolve your relationship to movement. If it feels uncomfortable to have two rest days in a row - write that into your schedule, if it feels new and strange to consider a walk or living room dance party as movement; leverage that to continue fostering more positive movement into your routine! Overall, the research largely is supportive of exercise while engaging in eating disorder treatment as long as it’s medically indicated and flexible. Learn more about how to create your own intuitive movement practice here!
Resources Used:
Campbell, Anna, and Heather A. Hausenblas. “Effects of Exercise Interventions on Body Image.” Journal of Health Psychology, vol. 14, no. 6, 17 Aug. 2009, pp. 780–793, https://doi.org/10.1177/1359105309338977
Hausenblas, Heather A., et al. “Can Exercise Treat Eating Disorders?” Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews, vol. 36, no. 1, Jan. 2008, pp. 43–47, https://doi.org/10.1097/jes.0b013e31815e4040
Moola, Fiona J., et al. “Exercise in the Care of Patients with Anorexia Nervosa: A Systematic Review of the Literature.” Mental Health and Physical Activity, vol. 6, no. 2, June 2013, pp. 59–68,https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mhpa.2013.04.002.
Collaborative Counseling & Nutrition is an outpatient nutrition and body image counseling center, with locations in Indianapolis and Carmel, that provides compassionate, holistic eating disorder treatment. Through practicing mindfulness, intuition, and Health At Every Size, we are on a mission to help you find a true state of well-being! We take an anti-diet, weight-inclusive approach with all our clients and work to help guide you towards a way of healthy living designed by you, just for you! This post is for education purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for treatment for an eating disorder. If you are looking for a registered dietitian or therapist to assist you on your recovery journey, please reach out today!
