Something that a number of my clients have shared with me is that it has felt to them like other eating disorder professionals / dietitians have conveyed the idea that they are “automatically being disordered” if they want to exercise or be physically fit.

Hmmm. *Skeptically scratching head.* I have to say I disagree!

I do think this is a tricky line to walk, as exercise and fitness intentions can certainly come from a place of being “mostly disordered.”

That being said, I don’t think that NEEDS to be the case. It’s all about your RELATIONSHIP with exercise, and your motivations for doing what you are doing. If your relationship with exercise IS currently disordered right now, we can work towards HEALING and CHANGING that. You can pursue physical fitness and exercise in a way that is genuinely and holistically healthy.

I am all about fitness and physical health in my own personal life, and love when clients and blog readers are passionate about this, too.

However, this wasn’t always the case. When it comes to working one’s way out of a completely unhealthy relationship with exercise, I GET YOU if that’s where you are at as you find yourself reading this blog post.

Based on my own personal experience and my work with clients, I have a lot of insight into what typically goes on emotionally and psychologically when it comes to a healthy versus unhealthy relationship with exercise.

Whether you are regularly exercising right now, taking a break, or thinking of getting back into it, here are 7 questions to consider when it comes to your exercise routine.

7 Questions to Consider When it Comes to Your Exercise Routine: 

Am I reasonably flexible with my exercise routine?

Some people naturally crave more routine when it comes to things like exercise, and others naturally prefer more spontaneity. However, even for the most routine-oriented among us (myself typically included!), any healthy exercise routine needs some amount of flexibility. We are all human — life happens, we get sick, we feel tired, and we may need to flex with our desired exercise routines in order to serve other priorities in a given day.

In my ideal world, I like to be able to exercise how I most prefer most of the time. And this usually happens most of the time. HOWEVER, I think it is healthy to be able to miss a workout when needed, listen to our bodies when we are tired, and sometimes do something else just because we don’t feel like doing our usual exercise routine. Common examples of this from my own life might be not doing my usual run because I didn’t sleep well, shortening my normal routine to get to breakfast plans with a friend, or skipping my exercise altogether when I’m sick. I used to be so addicted to compulsively exercising that even THAT was impossible. #NOTGOOD!

A healthy relationship with exercise allows for the flexibility of being human. It allows you to shift and adapt as it makes sense and as it aligns with your values, as exercise isn’t an idol in your life. Exercise is ONE priority in my life, but not THE ONLY one. Sometimes other priorities take precedence — without causing me anxiety about missing my usual exercise routine. I may feel disappointment about it, but not anxious or like my self-worth has taken a hit.

Is there variety when it comes to the intensity of my exercise?

I think of variety when it comes to intensity in two ways. One, we need some variety in order to flex and adjust based on how we are feeling (similar to the point above). If I’m feeling overly sore or tired, I can adjust my plan to run to more of a run/walk or just a walk. If you have a cold or don’t feel like going to the gym, maybe some light yoga at home could be an alternative if you’d still like your personal time / time for a bit of movement.

In another sense, I think it’s important to have variety with intensity built-in to your usual routine. Going as hard as you can at the gym every day or running every single day of the week is generally not a great idea from a fitness and health prospective. Our muscles need time to rest and recover so that we can actually experience the benefits of the work we are putting in with our workouts.

From a more mental/emotional, relationship with exercise standpoint, it’s healthy to be able to slow it down, not go all-in, and not feel the need to “burn as many calories as humanly possible in an hour” by doing gentler forms of exercise, too, throughout the week.

Note: there are times when I think it is highly beneficial to ONLY be doing gentler forms of exercise (or all the time, if that is your preference!). Example situations where this may apply are if you are really needing to take a break from intense workouts to help heal your relationship with exercise, if you are recovering from an eating disorder (especially if you are working on weight restoration), if you aren’t eating regular meals and snacks, if you are working on getting your period back, or if your life is already overly stressful and full at the moment. Gentle yoga and walks can be great ways to move your body without overly stressing it.

Is there a balance of strength, endurance, and flexibility in my routine?

From a physical health perspective, I generally think it’s best to include a blend of strength, endurance, and flexibility components in your exercise routine. Some of us may naturally prefer to lean more heavily into one or two of these, which I find normal and fine. Personally, I love outdoor endurance type exercise (running, skiing, hiking, etc.) as well as yoga, and do a bit of strength training but wouldn’t enjoy lifting weights as a primary form of exercise. Especially as we age, having at least some amount of all three of these aspects of fitness is a good way to stay physically fit and active.

If you find yourself pretty much only doing things like running on the treadmill or busting it out on the elliptical (i.e., doing almost all cardio), OR lifting weights 24/7, I invite you to consider what your motivations are for doing what you are doing. Do you REALLY enjoy ONLY running on the treadmill day after day, or do you feel like you *have to* because you’ve heard or come to believe that this is what you need to do or should be doing in order to achieve your desired outcome? (i.e., “burning calories,” maintaining a certain weight, trying to decrease your body size, etc.).

Including a balance of strength, endurance, and flexibility supports a healthy body and a healthy relationship with exercise.

Would I do what I am doing if I already liked and/or appreciated my body?

What would you do exercise-wise if you ALREADY liked or at least appreciated and were neutral toward your body? Would it be what you are currently doing?

I encourage you to take a moment to really pause and consider this. Maybe even write out a brainstormed list of what types of exercise, in what frequency, and at what intensity sounds FUN and LIFE-GIVING to you. Try to let your “healthy self” speak and not your “disordered eating” part.

Maybe right now you are doing a strict gym routine most days of the week, when it really sounds more motivating and fun to incorporate more dance, yoga, or long walks outside. Maybe only exercising 3 days a week compared to your usual 5 or 6 is what sounds like a breath of fresh air. Maybe you enjoy exercise to some degree, but would actually like more time for other hobbies like art, reading, and spending time with friends.

When we appreciate and respect our bodies, as they are NOW, we are able to engage with exercise in a way that is healthy physically, mentally, and emotionally. Exercise becomes less of a tool to “fix yourself” (side note: it will never ultimately accomplish this), and more of a way to feel strong physically, enjoy moving your body, and take a break to do something fun. This is also a much more sustainable approach as we think of making exercise a lifestyle, not a “quick fix to change my body asap.”

What are my “general exercise preferences,” and are these coming from a place of health or disorder?  

When I say “general exercise preferences,” I’m wondering what you prefer in regard to things like…

• Do you generally prefer exercising by yourself? Or do you like to meet up with a friend, attend a group class, or play a team sport?
• Do you generally prefer to have more of a structured routine, or to totally flex depending on what you’re in the mood for on any given day? (Note: see point above regarding flexibility to some degree in general!)
• Do you generally prefer to exercise inside or outside? On the trails, at home, in the yoga studio, or at the gym?
• Do you like to listen to podcasts, music, talk to a friend, or enjoy the peace and quiet?

These are examples of preferences to consider when it comes to creating an optimal exercise routine.

Taking this a step further, I invite you to consider whether your initial answers to these questions are coming from a place of HEALTH (i.e., your healthy self) or DISORDER (i.e., your disordered eating/exercise part).

Maybe you genuinely prefer the alone time most of the time (healthy self). OR, maybe you feel like your exercise has to be done a certain way and that exercising with someone else would interfere with your overly rigid goals that must be achieved above all else, even though exercising with a friend does sound like it would be fun (disordered eating part).

Is my exercise routine rooted in ENJOYMENT?

When I think of exercise, I like to think of it as being rooted in, or “under an overarching umbrella” of enjoyment. At the end of the day, if you don’t ENJOY your exercise most of the time, I don’t think it is healthy in the holistic sense of the word.

(Obviously there are nuances to this… I don’t LOVE LOVE LOVE getting out the door for a run 100% of the time. There is some flex with how I experience this, but it is something I definitely enjoy overall / most of the time, something I can be flexible with, and something that helps me feel good physically/mentally/emotionally. Additionally, I imagine pro football players don’t LOVE LOVE LOVE every workout they do, but they do probably/hopefully enjoy the sport they play and thus need to do some tough/less-than-enjoyable workouts to make that overarching goal of playing a sport they enjoy happen).

In my mind, enjoyment is an “umbrella” for how we experience exercise, because it CAN ALSO encompass things like fitness goals and even (genuinely healthy) body change/size goals. For example, if I want to run a marathon, I think it’s healthiest if my primary goal is to enjoy the experience of training for and running the marathon. Secondary goals of mine may be to achieve a fitness goal and to get stronger, but if either one of these were the PRIMARY or DRIVING goal at the EXPENSE of overall health and enjoyment, I would consider this a less healthy approach.

Is my exercise routine supporting or hindering my overall health and well-being? 

Lastly, carefully consider whether or not your exercise routine is SUPPORTING or HINDERING your overall health and well-being.

Even if your exercise is enhancing your physical health, is it harming your mental, emotional, and relational health?

Exercise *is* a stressor, and usually a good one IF your body is in a place to handle it. If we aren’t well nourished, if we aren’t healthy physically, and/or if our life is full of a bunch of other stressors, then our exercise may be doing our health more harm than good.

We can think of our overall stress as a “bucket.” My stress bucket might contain things like the stressors related to managing a business, running a household, the dynamics that come up with family and friends, and not sleeping well right now on a routine basis. I need to consider how full my bucket is when I take into account the type, frequency, and intensity of exercise I am doing in order to not overflow my bucket.

More is not always better when it comes to exercise! There is a time and a place and a season for ramping things up (if you so desire) and ramping things down. Life is full of ebbs and flows.

To continue pondering all things relationship-with-exercise…

–> Check out the following posts! // True Health & Recovery are Not Mutually Exclusive, 4 Indicators of a Healthy Relationship with Exercise, & Is Your Relationship with Exercise Healthy?

–> Leave a comment below to let me know what resonated with you the most in this post!

–> Reach out to book a call to discuss the possibility of working together one-on-one for more individualized support. For clients 18+ located in Michigan, Idaho, Arizona, or Texas 🙂