When Is It Safe to Exercise? Anorexia & Eating Disorder Recovery
If you’re recovering from an eating disorder, work with your treatment team to determine when it’s appropriate to incorporate mindful movement and exercise back into your routine. If appropriate, reintroduce physical activity gradually and mindfully. Begin with gentle movement and avoid triggering activities, like using technology to track exercise. Exercise should be enjoyable, not depleting. For athletes, reintroduction should be carefully planned with sports staff. Family support is crucial, avoiding discussions about exercise, nutrition and weight, and monitoring for hidden exercise behaviors.
Excerpt from Eating Recovery Center:
Tip 1: Start with gentle movement
Consider starting a movement program in a social setting; a social or group setting can be very therapeutic, particularly if you have exercised in isolation in the past. Also, a group or social setting actively encourages you to branch out beyond your usual routine, creating a new mindset on movement.
The type of movement will also be important. Consider exploring one of the following types of movements first:
- Gentle yoga in a group setting
- Tai Chi
- Mindful nature walks in a group setting
- Short family walks around the neighborhood
Additionally, use mindfulness as you move: focusing on your breath and being present in the moment. These skills work to replace what you may have been focusing on in the past: the length of time you are exercising, the intensity of the exercise, the number of calories burned, or even negative self-talk. An example of a mindful walk might include noticing your surroundings (birds, trees, clouds in the sky).