Exercise and Athletes

At Opal, we welcome athletes. We believe that individuals can experience both a full recovery in their relationship to food and body while excelling in their sport.  With the benefit of having staff members who have competed at a high level of sport, we are a program that is invested in both the client’s eating disorder recovery and athletic endeavors. We understand and are sensitive to the demands that are placed on athletes and can help our clients navigate how to prioritize self-care and recovery within the athletic context. Opal will collaborate with coaches, parents and teammates if needed.

Our approach to exercise is individualized. In some cases, clients will not yet be ready to exercise safely. Other clients will be ready to learn what exercise can look like in eating disorder recovery. We will support our clients to identify their motivations to exercise and help them bring more meaning and value to the way they choose to move their body. Our goal is to help clients tease out their eating disorder from their relationship to exercise so that they can move in a liberated, more joyful way.