Coping Skills for When You’re Struggling with Compulsive Exercise during Eating Disorder Recovery

The Eating Disorder Center offers therapy for eating disorders and body image issues in Rockville, Maryland, with services extending to Bethesda, Potomac, Gaithersburg, and Olney, as well as virtually across Maryland. We also provide eating disorder treatment in Arlington, Virginia, throughout the state of Virginia, and in Washington, D.C.

Our clinicians use effective treatment modalities, including CBT, DBT, and ACT, to help clients find freedom from compulsive exercise, eating disorders, and body image struggles.


What is Compulsive Exercise? 

We live in an exercise-fixated 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.

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Free Coping Tools Handout:

We are excited to share that The Eating Disorder Center created an infographic that provides coping tools for people struggling with compulsive exercising. These tips can help you at the start of your journey when trying to make small changes towards recovery or if you are further along in recovery, they can add some skills to your “toolbox.” This handout is meant to help folks at any stage of recovery who may be struggling with compulsive exercise.

Download the free PDF HERE!

We provide eating disorder therapy in Rockville, Maryland and virtually throughout Maryland for teens and adults struggling with anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, OSFED, ARFID, orthorexia, and compulsive exercise. We also have therapists who specialize in eating disorders co-occurring with trauma, OCD, and mood disorders. 

Looking for specialized help from a clinician? Reach out to our administrative team at The Eating Disorder Center to schedule a free 15-minute consultation with a therapist on our team. Our therapists are passionate about treating the entire spectrum of eating disorders, including those who engage in compulsive exercising. Give us a call at 301-246-6856 or fill out our contact form.

Schedule a FREE 15-minute consultation to explore how eating disorder therapy or recovery coaching can help you to find freedom.
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🌟 Available in MD, VA, DC, PA, NY, FL, and CA for eating disorder therapy
🌍 Offering recovery coaching worldwide

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