ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal®: July – August 2023 | A Justification for Exercise Intervention during Eating Disorder Treatment
Up to four in five individuals with an eating disorder engage in dysfunctional exercise behaviors. Counter to conventional thinking, recommending abstinence from exercise during eating disorder treatment is likely not helpful; yet, most treatments and guidelines provide no intervention to address dysfunctional exercise and lack clear guidance about how or when to reintroduce physical activity. Including supervised and therapeutic exercise during treatment for an eating disorder may improve physical and mental health outcomes such as quality of life, therapeutic alliance, eating disorder symptomatology, and overall fitness without compromising weight gain. The Safe Exercise at Every Stage guideline aims to provide exercise professionals with a tool to help navigate this process.
