Compulsive Exercise and Eating Disorders: Healthy vs. Unhealthy Movement
Written by ‘Ai Pono Hawaii Staff Writer
A large part of society has adopted a one-size-fits-all approach to exercise: “You should exercise, it’s good for you.” And while movement has been proven to have positive effects on mental and physical health, there is a fine line between healthy and unhealthy movement. For some, what starts as healthy movement can easily turn into a damaging relationship with exercise — even a full blown exercise compulsion.
In this article, we will explain:
What compulsive exercise is and the forms it can take
The difference between healthy and unhealthy movement
How to tell if you have an unhealthy relationship with exercise
What healthy exercise and eating disorder recovery looks like
The ‘Ai Pono approach to mindful movement in recovery
Compulsive Exercise: Definition and Forms it Can Take
Several mental health apps, self-help blogs, and social media account owners endorse exercise as a way to improve your mental health. This is not entirely inaccurate. Several scientific studies have investigated the relationship between exercise and mental health.
This large-scale 2018 study of 1.2 million people in the US measuring the relationship between exercise and depression found that, over a 30 day period, people who exercised had 1.5 fewer poor mental health days compared to those who did not exercise. However, this study also found that exercising more often and more intensely did not increase the mental health of those who participated in the study.
This indicates that there is an amount of movement that is healthy, and that it is not necessarily intense or takes up too much of your time. It’s important also to note that movement was defined strictly as traditional “exercise” in the form people usually think of, and included things as simple as housework and slow, mindful walks.
When does exercise become problematic?
While moderate levels of exercise have proven health benefits, there is a point where it can become problematic, both physically and mentally. For those who have a negative relationship with food and body image, and for those with an eating disorder, this is especially true.
Unhealthy exercise takes several forms, including:
Excessive exercise: exercising more often or longer than recommended.
Compensatory exercise: exercising to “compensate” for the number of calories eaten during a binge. Compensatory exercise is considered to be another form of “purging” the calories one has consumed, and can occur in anyone with an eating disorder.
Compulsive exercise: Feeling you have to exercise according to a rigid routine, and experiencing anxiety is you can’t.
Compulsive and unhealthy exercise takes a toll on the quality of life, as many people who struggle with this end up missing important events in their lives due to the perceived need to exercise, and the high levels of anxiety when they can’t exercise also takes the joy away from important events.
Physical consequences of compulsive exercise may include:
Bone density loss
Loss of menstrual cycle (in biological females)
Energy deficiencies
Persistent muscle soreness
Joint and bone pain
Increased risk and occurrence of injuries (overuse injuries, stress fractures, shin splints, etc.)
Constant fatigue and sluggishness
Altered resting heart rate
Increased frequency of sickness and upper respiratory infections
Anyone can develop an exercise disorder, but athletes are at an increased risk. This is because of the pressure to win, and the potentially toxic environment they’re in.
How can you tell if you or someone you know has an issue with overexercise or unhealthy exercise?
It’s hard to tell the difference between healthy and unhealthy amounts of exercise, especially within a fitness obsessed society. But the best indicators of a potential or full blown exercise disorder lie in the mental consequences of exercise. These include:
Exercise that interferes with important activities, such as studying for exams or celebrations with friends
Exercise done at inappropriate times or settings, like late at night when one typically should be asleep
Continuing to exercise despite injury or medical complications
Intense anxiety, depression, guilt and/or distress felt if unable to exercise
Maintaining a rigid exercise routine, despite weather, obligations or injury
Discomfort with rest and inactivity
Exercise used to manage uncomfortable and/or distressing emotions
Exercise as a way to “get rid of” or “burn” calories
Exercise used as a way to give oneself “permission” to eat
Exercise that is hidden or done in secret
Overtraining as a result of guilt or feeling “not good enough” during a period of exercise
Withdrawal from family and friends to make more time to exercise
If your current level of exercise interferes with your daily life - physically, mentally and/or emotionally - that is an indicator that you may have developed an unhealthy relationship with exercise or an exercise compulsion.
Exercise and Eating Disorders
Compulsive exercise is a common occurrence in those with an eating disorder. It has a severe negative impact on recovery, especially when getting to the body’s natural weight and repairing the physical damage of eating disorders. It is also counterproductive when carving out a better relationship with food, especially because exercise can be a form of purging nutritional intake.
Related: For a more in depth explanation of the relationship between exercise and eating disorders of all kinds, click here.
Mindful Movement in Recovery: The ‘Ai Pono Approach
The goal of treatment related to over-exercise or compulsive exercise is not to cease movement altogether but to develop a healthy relationship to movement.
One of the questions we often get asked of people looking to admit to ‘Ai Pono’s residential program is: “Will I be able to exercise?”
Short answer — maybe not in the way you want to, or the way you have been used to. At the residential level of treatment, we focus on getting to know and connect with our bodies again in a new, healthier, and more sustainable way. This involves giving our bodies and minds a chance to rest and recuperate so that when we do choose to integrate movement again into our routines, our choices can be intentional and therapeutic, in the best interest of recovery, not the eating disorder.
At ‘Ai Pono, healthy movement is integrated through daily mindful walks on the beach and gentle yoga twice a week. Practicing healthy movement in a therapeutic environment, under the supervision of clinician’s, is the first step towards developing a positive relationship between the mind, body, and exercise.
As you begin to integrate exercise into your daily life, keep the following in mind:
Reject old ideas about exercise, including the “need” to exercise.
Recognize that exercise is not about “fitness”, and that exercise is not tied to your worth.
If you don’t feel like exercising, or hate a certain form of exercise — don’t bother with it!
Find a form of movement you enjoy doing, whether it’s playing kickball with friends, mindful walks, or dancing in your room! If you try a form of exercise and don’t like it, move on.
Make sure you have support set up as you’re working on repairing your relationship with exercise. This includes a team of treatment professionals, and can include family members and friends exercising with you to make sure you don’t overdo it.
If you ever find yourself slipping into old mindsets (exercising to lose weight or purge calories, becoming rigid about exercise) you may want to cease exercising. Let your team know immediately about these slips and work on approaching exercise in a healthy way again.
Listen to your body, always. If you’re tired, burnt out, or just not feeling like it, know that you don’t have to exercise and honor that knowledge.
With the help of your treatment team, and the right mindset, you can reach exercise and eating disorder recovery. We here at ‘Ai Pono have helped several people find the path towards mindful movement in recovery, and hope we can lead you as well.
If you or a loved one is suffering from an eating disorder, take the first step today and talk to someone about recovery or simply learn more about the holistic eating disorder recovery programs we offer.