A Free Meditation For Compulsive Exercise by Eating Disorder Therapist, Jennifer Rollin, LCSW-C

What is compulsive exercise?
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We live in an exercise-focused world, so our relationship with movement can be complicated.  Some people who struggle with compulsive exercising may also struggle with obsessive compulsive disorder, disordered eating or an eating disorder.  

It can be difficult for people who are struggling with compulsive exercise to stop the cycle of exercising, as exercise may have been used as a way for someone to meet their needs (i.e. being able to manage the feeling of loneliness or anxiety).  

Living trapped by compulsive exercise is exhausting. It’s a tiring cycle that can feel really difficult to break out of on your own. Also exercising can be so praised in our society that it might be hard for others (or yourself) to recognize that you have a problem.

At The Eating Disorder Center we are highly skilled in providing therapy for individuals who are struggling with compulsive exercise. We will work as part of a treatment team to help you to recover from compulsive exercise, which may include a physician, dietitian, and/or psychiatrist.

We use evidence-based treatment methods, including acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) skills, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and modified FBT treatment. We are Health At Every Size (HAES) informed providers. We help individuals who are struggling with compulsive exercise to challenge exercise rules and heal their relationship to movement. If there is co-occurring trauma we also offer EMDR therapy for trauma and eating disorders.

We pride ourselves on being action-oriented therapists, setting recovery goals, and doing exposures with clients, such as eating meals or snacks together. We value collaboration with other local eating disorder treatment providers.  Many of our therapists are also personally recovered from eating disorders.
    
Our founder at The Eating Disorder Center, and an eating disorder therapist in Rockville, Maryland Jennifer Rollin, MSW, LCSW-C created a free meditation for compulsive exercise.

Here is the video for the meditation:

The purpose of this meditation is to help folks struggling with compulsions or negative thoughts around exercise or movement.  The meditation discusses that sometimes when we challenge the eating disorder, the eating disorder voice can get louder and it can be more difficult to tolerate big feelings around it.  Know that this is normal and expected during the recovery process.

Jennifer Rollin, MSW, LCSW-C discusses taking a break from exercise as feeling as if you are “crawling out of your skin.”  She then explains that the more you are able to ride out these eating disorder urges, the easier it will get over time.

Compulsive exercise may feel like it's bringing the anxiety down in the short term, but in the long term it is keeping you stuck in this exhausting cycle.  And that is no way to live the rest of your life.

You don’t have to feel trapped anymore.

Are you looking for support with compulsive exercise?  The Eating Disorder Center is here to help! We provide therapy in-person in Rockville, MD and virtually in MD, VA, DC, FL, and NY. We also offer recovery coaching worldwide. 

Not sure where to start? Reach out to us for a free 15-minute consultation by filling out our contact form or give us a call at 301-246-6856!

Schedule a free 15 min consult for eating disorder therapy in MD, VA, DC, NY, FL, or recovery coaching worldwide.
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The Eating Disorder Center is a premier outpatient eating disorder therapy center founded by Jennifer Rollin. We specialize in helping teens and adults struggling with anorexia, binge eating disorder, bulimia, OSFED, and body image issues. We provide eating disorder therapy in Rockville, MD, easily accessible to individuals in Potomac, North Potomac, Bethesda, Olney, Silver Spring, Germantown, and Washington D.C. We also provide eating disorder therapy in Arlington, Virginia and virtually throughout Virginia. Additionally, we offer eating disorder therapy virtually in New York (NYC), Florida, and California. We provide eating disorder and EMDR trauma therapy in Rockville, Maryland and virtually throughout Maryland. We provide eating disorder recovery coaching via Zoom to people worldwide. Connect with us through our website at www.theeatingdisordercenter.com