Recovery-first boundary guide
Recovery +
Running
When eating-disorder recovery is active, the real job is protecting treatment, boundaries, and safe return timing instead of trying to squeeze training back in early.
Treatment firstPause signsAdult languageReturn later
Use this recovery rule
Keep treatment first, pause when running becomes compensation, and let the care team decide whether a return is actually safe.
Recovery reminders
Running is never a reward for eating less.
Return-to-run decisions belong to the treatment team.
Support language beats performance urgency every time.
Next action
Choose one exact support sentence the adult will repeat next time the topic comes up.
Name the running behavior that would count as a stop sign, not grit.
Name the care-team contact who owns return-to-run clearance.
What not to do
Do not treat running as proof that recovery is going well.Do not debate calories, discipline, or body size with the athlete.Do not create pressure to earn support through exercise.
Recovery gets safer when the adults keep the message simple and stop asking training to prove readiness.