Shifting from Compulsive to Intuitive Movement

There is no doubt that movement is a great thing for both our bodies and our minds, however in today’s toxic fitness culture exercise can easily become obsessive and dangerous. Unfortunately, disordered or compulsive exercise has become so normalized that it can be hard to recognize when your relationship with movement has crossed into unhealthy territory. Here are some warning signs that you may want to reevaluate your exercise habits:

1. Your exercise is rigid and inflexible 

Are you able to take rest days as needed? Can you take a day off without planning it in advance? Are you able to rearrange your training schedule to fit into your life, or do you schedule everything around exercise? If you are unable to take a day off to allow yourself rest or shift your exercise schedule to fit into your social life, your exercise may have shifted into compulsive territory.

1. What you can eat depends on how much you move

Do you feel like you need to eat less on days you don’t exercise, or can only have fun foods when you burn enough calories? If so, it’s time to take a step back. In reality, our bodies still need lots of food on our rest days to rebuild and repair. If you are under-eating on days off, your body is probably in a state of low energy availability and will not be able to heal and progress from your training. You will just continue to break your body down without building it back up. 

1. You are experiencing symptoms of over exercising 

These include chronic fatigue, decreased immunity, delayed recovery and increased soreness, poor sleep, decreased performance, and increased injury risk. If you are noticing any of these symptoms, it’s a good sign you might be over exercising and under-eating. 

1. Exercise is only focused on burning calories and changing your body

At the end of the day, exercise should be about enjoyment and come from a place of respect for your body, not hatred. If you are exercising from a place of punishment or find yourself forcing the activity even when you are dreading it, I promise you will burn out. 

1. Exercise is your only coping mechanism 

As I said above, we all know that any type of movement can have amazing benefits on our mental health, however when it becomes compulsive, it can exacerbate mental health struggles. When exercise becomes the only coping skill and is done without proper nutrition and recovery, it just becomes another stressor on the body and mind. Remember, movement can be therapeutic, but exercise should NOT be your therapy.  

So, where do we go from here? Maybe you already know that your relationship with movement is unhealthy, but don’t know how to heal it. Here are some tips to help you start shifting your mindset around movement from a place of punishment and hatred to a place of respect, enjoyment, and intuition. 

1. Explore your “why”

Really listen to that voice in your head telling you to move and ask yourself why it’s there. Is it telling you you “should”  or “need to”exercise? Get curious about that voice and assess if it is coming from a place of wanting to burn calories or shrink your body. After this, make a list of reasons to move that have nothing to do with changing your body and are not tied to weight loss. Some examples include: improving strength or flexibility, increasing stamina and endurance, to destress, to connect with your body. Start thinking of exercise as a form of respect and kindness for your body, not something you need to do to your body. 

1. Figure out what you actually like

Trying to force yourself to move in a way that you hate just because it burns more calories or feels like that you “should” do is a sure fire way to burn out and dread movement. Start exploring what you actually like doing and get rid of the mindset that certain things do or don’t “count”. Try out different things, explore new types of movement, or even try moving in ways that you found fun as a kid!

1. Get rid of the rigidity 

While there is nothing wrong with having some structure to your exercise routine, being so rigid that you aren’t able to listen to your body or prioritize other things is not healthy. Try scheduling a few times a week to move, and then check in with yourself beforehand. How are you feeling? Are you fatigued, extra sore, hungry, exhausted? Ask yourself if moving is the kindest thing for your body in that moment, and allow your body to tell you if it needs something different in that moment (like rest, a nap, or food!)

Let me know some of your favorite ways to move intuitively and tips that have helped you improve your relationship with exercise!