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Food, body & eating

Movement: joy or pressure?

Notice whether exercise is adding to your life or running it — and find movement that feels good.

About 10 minutes · 6 questionsEating disorder treatment · Relapse prevention
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Food, body & eating~10 minEating disorder treatmentRelapse prevention

Movement: joy or pressure?

Notice whether exercise is adding to your life or running it — and find movement that feels good.

Why this helps

For some people exercise becomes compulsive — done to compensate, punish or control, even when sick or hurt. It's common in eating disorders and can also become a 'swap' addiction in recovery. Noticing the signs early protects your health.

Please leave out numbers — weights, sizes, calories or amounts. If you have a treatment team, bring this to them. The National Alliance for Eating Disorders helpline, staffed by therapists on weekdays, is (866) 662-1235In a crisis, call or text 988.

1. Do any of these fit?

Check any that apply

  • I feel guilty or anxious if I miss a workout
  • I exercise when I'm sick or injured
  • I exercise to 'make up for' eating
  • Exercise comes before people, rest or work
  • I hide how much I exercise
  • Rest days feel impossible
  • I track it constantly

2. Why I move — honestly

3. Movement that feels good or fun, not like punishment

4. What rest could look like for me

5. What my doctor or care team says about movement for me right now

6. My plan for a balanced week

From the Workbook on Amity Connect, via RecoveryHome.comFor reflection and practice — not a diagnosis or a substitute for professional care. In crisis, call or text 988.amityconnect.com/app/workbook/movement-check
Keep your answers somewhere safe
This worksheet, online and private, on Amity Connect — free for individuals, built by the same team. Your answers stay yours; if you're with a recovery home that uses it, they can assign it to you and see only what you choose to share.
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About this worksheet
It comes from the Amity Connect workbook, built by the same team as RecoveryHome, and is free to print and share. It's for reflection and practice — not a diagnosis, and not a substitute for professional care. Content is never written or edited by advertisers. If you're in crisis, call or text 988.

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Movement: joy or pressure? — free printable worksheet · RecoveryHome