8 Times When Exercise Is NOT the “healthy Choice”: from an Eating Disorder Therapist

Written by Allyson Inez Ford, MA, LPCC

Exercise is widely talked about as a mental health intervention- especially in the new year. And for many people, movement feels regulating, grounding, and supportive. At the same time, exercise exists within a culture that prizes thinness, discipline, control and hyper productivity. These values end up shaping how and why people move their bodies and can turn into what feels like an addiction to exercise.

In my work as an eating disorder therapist, I often see how exercise can slide from something supportive into something compulsive, particularly for people with eating disorders , obsessive-compulsive disorder, or long-standing struggles with body image. This doesn’t mean that all exercise is “bad” or that movement should be avoided altogether. However, it does mean that the context and meaning of exercise is something we should be mindful of. Personally, in my own battle with an eating disorder, OCD and body dysmorpohia- exercise was a compulsion that kept me ill. This is one reason why I am so passionate about debunking ‘more exercise = more health’ myths. Through eating disorder recovery, I was able to develop a more joyous relationship to movement, and I am truly grateful for that!

Below are eight situations where exercise may be doing more harm than good for your mental health, even if it looks ‘healthy’ from the outside:

1. When Your Sense of Self-Worth Depends on Your Fitness Output

Exercise can feel empowering, but when self-worth becomes tied to how often, how intensely or how “successfully” you move, the relationship can quickly become fraught. If feeling good about yourself hinges on metrics like calories burned, miles logged or personal records hit, movement stops being a supportive practice and starts functioning as a measure of worth.

Over time, this erodes an inherent sense of worthiness and narrows how you see yourself- making it harder to feel okay on days when movement looks different or doesn’t happen at all.

2. When You’re Harsh Toward Yourself for Not Exercising “Well Enough”

Many people with a rigid and perfectionistic relationship to exercise notice that their internal dialogue shifts sharply when exercise doesn’t go according to plan. Missing a workout, modifying movement or feeling less capable than usual can bring up intense self-criticism or shame.

Mental health is not supported by practices that rely on self-punishment and increase shame. If exercise consistently activates an inner voice that is critical, demanding or unforgiving, it’s worth questioning whether that movement is actually serving you.

3. When Rest Days Are Filled With Guilt

Rest is a necessary part of physical and psychological well-being. When taking a rest day brings up guilt, anxiety or urges to compensate later- then it is not in fact, a healthy choice. This is a warning sign that your relationship with exercise has become more obsessive and compulsive.

A relationship with movement that supports mental health includes the ability to rest without feeling like you’re “bad” or eat without needing to ‘burn it off’ later.

4. When Exercise Can’t Adapt to the Realities of Your Life

Bodies and lives are not static. Illness, injury, stress, caregiving demands, disability, energy levels, aging, grief, and burnout all affect capacity. If you feel unable to adjust your exercise type and length to these realities, they can begin to work against mental health rather than alongside it. This can look like: waking up at 4am to exercise before your kids wake up, even though you’re exhausted and sleep deprived.

Sustainable movement is responsive to change and considerate of your sleep and energy level, not built around pushing through at all costs.

5. When Exercise Becomes a Constant Comparison

Some people enter every workout measuring themselves against a former version of their body or against others around them. Thoughts about being slower, weaker, less disciplined, or less “fit” can dominate the experience.

When comparison becomes central, movement often reinforces shame and dissatisfaction rather than supporting well-being.

6. When Movement Is Your Only Way to Cope

Exercise can be one meaningful coping tool, but when it becomes the primary (or only) way to manage emotions or stress, it may be carrying more emotional weight than it can reasonably hold. This is true for any singular coping skill, our mental health is best served when we have a variety of coping skills to lean on in times of distress.

This can include: other hobbies, rest, art/creativity, connection, and care from others. When those pieces are missing, exercise can begin taking on the role of emotional regulation in ways that aren’t always sustainable.

7. When Each Workout Starts With Body Criticism

If exercise is consistently approached as a way to fix, shrink, or punish parts of your body, that is a clear sign that you are using exercise in an unhealthy manner. Entering movement with a running list of perceived flaws often deepens disconnection from the body rather than fostering care or respect. It also won’t improve your body image long term. It may feel relieving in the moment, but it’s hard to accept something we constantly feel the need to fix or punish.

Mental health is affected not only by what we do, but by how we relate to ourselves while doing it.

8. When Exercise Is Used to Justify or Compensate for Eating

Using exercise to “earn” food or make up for eating is a common feature of disordered relationships with movement. This framing treats nourishment as something that must be justified rather than as a basic need. Sadly, this is an all too common marketing tactic in the media, and it makes me beyond infuriated. You do not need a reason to access a basic need, you just need it simply by existing.

When exercise is closely tied to food rules or guilt, it often reflects an underlying struggle that deserves attention and support. Disordered eating is best treated with early intervention, don’t wait for it to get worse!

A More Supportive Relationship With Movement

For many people, rebuilding a healthier relationship with exercise means shifting away from rigid expectations and toward flexibility, compassion and learning to trust your body (ex: if it’s tired, you trust it needs rest instead of pushing a 3 mile run). Movement that supports mental health tends to leave room for rest, adaptation, and curiosity,. It does not require suffering to feel worthy.

If any of the patterns above feel familiar, it doesn’t mean you’re a bad or broken person. These struggles make sense in a culture that equates self worth with thinness, productivity and control, especially for those with eating disorders or body image distress. I was once in your shoes. Slowly and with the right support, you can learn to develop a more intuitive and joyous relationship to movement.

How Therapy Can Help

Working with an eating disorder specialized therapist can help you explore the role exercise plays in your life, understand what it has been providing for you, how it might be harming you and ultimately- develop alternative ways of caring for yourself. Therapy can support a relationship with movement that is grounded in joy rather than obligation, and in care rather than punishment.

Connect with Us

At Eating Disorder & OCD Therapy, we work with clients navigating compulsive exercise, eating disorders, and body image concerns using a non-diet, inclusive and compassionate approach. We have lived experience- which will be different than yours, but also gives us deep empathy for how hard this struggle is! If you’re looking for a therapist or recovery coach, reach out today to book a free 15 minute phone consultation to see if we’d be a good fit for you.

Eating disorder & OCD Therapy team standing outside Balboa Park, San Diego (Georiga, Parisa & Allyson)