Navigating Exercise While Managing Eating Disorders: A Balanced Approach

What are Eating Disorders?

Eating disorders are serious and often chronic illnesses that are associated with severe disturbances in people’s eating behaviours and related thoughts and emotions. Preoccupation with food, body weight, and shape may also signal an eating disorder. Some common eating disorders include:

1. Anorexia Nervosa: Characterized by weight loss or lack of appropriate weight gain in growing children; difficulties maintaining an appropriate body weight for height, age, and stature; and, in many individuals, distorted body image.

2. Bulimia Nervosa: Involves episodes of eating unusually large amounts of food and feeling a lack of control over these episodes. This binge-eating is followed by behaviors that compensate for the overeating such as forced vomiting, excessive use of laxatives, or prolonged periods of excessive exercise.

3. Binge Eating Disorder: Similar to bulimia, this disorder involves regular episodes of overeating, but unlike bulimia, people with binge eating disorder do not regularly use unhealthy compensatory measures (like vomiting) to counter the binge eating.

Exercising with Eating Disorders

If someone is diagnosed with an eating disorder, or if they suspect they might have one, it’s crucial to approach exercise with caution and care. Here's how:

1. Consult with Healthcare Professionals: Always consult with a doctor, therapist, or eating disorder specialist before beginning an exercise regimen. They can provide guidance tailored to the individual's situation.

2. Mindfulness and Intuitive Movement: Rather than focusing on calorie-burning or high-intensity workouts, try to incorporate gentle, intuitive movement. This might include yoga, tai chi, or just taking leisurely walks.

3. Set Boundaries: If there’s a history of obsessive or excessive exercise, it might be beneficial to set limits. This could mean limiting the duration or type of exercise or incorporating more rest days.

4. Focus on How Exercise Feels: Rather than focusing on external goals like weight loss or muscle gain, pay attention to how movement makes you feel. Celebrate the joy of movement, the relaxation it brings, or the increase in energy it might provide.

5. Avoid Triggers: Be aware of what might trigger unhealthy thoughts or behaviors. This might mean avoiding specific types of exercise, gym environments, or even certain workout buddies who don't support a healthy mindset.

6. Stay Hydrated and Nourished: Especially if you're in recovery, it's crucial to fuel your body appropriately. Listen to your body's hunger and thirst cues and respond accordingly.

7. Join a Support Group: Connecting with others who have similar experiences can provide mutual encouragement and understanding. Some groups may even offer group exercise sessions tailored for individuals with eating disorders.

8. Reassess Regularly: Continually evaluate your relationship with exercise. If it’s becoming obsessive or detrimental, it might be time to pull back or change the approach.

In conclusion, while exercise can be a healthy part of a balanced lifestyle, it’s essential for individuals with eating disorders to approach it with caution. With the right support and mindset, exercise can be a joyful activity that contributes positively to one's wellbeing. However, it's vital always to prioritize mental and physical health above all else.

Reference

1. American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). American Psychiatric Pub, 2013.

2. National Eating Disorders Association: Understanding Eating Disorders

3. "Clinical Practice Guidelines for the BC Eating Disorders Continuum of Services" by British Columbia Ministry of Health, 2010.

4. Meyer, C., Taranis, L., Goodwin, H., & Haycraft, E. (2011). Compulsive exercise and eating disorders. European Eating Disorders Review, 19(3), 174-189.

5. Cook, B., & Hausenblas, H. (2008). The role of exercise dependence for the relationship between exercise behavior and eating pathology: mediator or moderator?. Journal of health psychology, 13(4), 495-502.

6. Bratland-Sanda, S., & Sundgot-Borgen, J. (2015). Eating disorders in athletes: Overview of prevalence, risk factors and recommendations for prevention and treatment. European journal of sport science, 15(6), 499-508.

7. "Exercise Psychology" by Panteleimon Ekkekakis, 2013

8. "The Oxford Handbook of Exercise Psychology" edited by Edmund O. Acevedo, 2012