Establishing a Healthy Relationship with Exercise


Whether you've made a new resolution to lose weight or whether you are recovering from an eating disorder or compulsive exercise, now is the time to establish a healthy relationship with exercise! Exercise is essential to maintaining a healthy lifestyle, both physically and mentally. Studies show that people suffering from clinical depression are more likely to see significant improvement in their frame of mind if they participate in weekly aerobic activities.

Many people who are not easily motivated to exercise have had a negative experience with exercise in their childhood. Most overweight clients I work with have acknowledged that they experienced "Gym Class Trauma"-for example, being picked last for activities. This may have reinforced that you were not good in athletics, so you gave up on exercise completely. If you despise the word "exercise," let's reframe your point of view. Why don't we forget about the word "exercise" and use "moving your body" instead? Many people relate to this and are able to switch from resisting exercise to enjoying it.

If you are recovering from an eating disorder such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa or if you abuse exercise, I encourage you to see that over-exercising does more harm than good. To receive health benefits from exercise, it is suggested that you do cardiovascular exercise three to four times a week for 30-45 minutes. Just as alcoholics need that next drink, compulsive over-exercisers feel that they have to exercise and cannot imagine life without it. When compulsive exercisers feel compelled to exercise and act on it, they tend to stuff feelings such as anger, shame, sadness, and fear. I remind you that you cannot heal if you cannot feel! If you tend to exercise compulsively, you need to stop exercising when you feel like you have to or when the exercise feels like a chore. This allows you to look at the feelings you are trying to cover up with exercise.

Keeping your exercise fun will allow you to establish a life-long healthy habit and easily achieve optimal health. Do activities you enjoy! Try exercising outdoors. You can go bike riding, hiking, swimming, roller blading, canoeing, do yard work, or create a fun new activity in the park. Not only will you receive physical benefits (such as strengthened muscles and immune system, a healthier heart, and more energy), you will relieve stress and also gain a connection to nature, which will enhance your spirituality! To keep exercise fun, join a recreational center, racquet club, or YMCA that provides a wide variety of fun classes and allows you to see that healthy people come in all shapes and sizes. I will leave you with the final words I say to my clients: Keep your exercise fun, and you'll find that you maintain your best health and develop a good relationship with exercise for as long as you want.