Speaking on behalf of the body and activity: Investigating the activity experiences of Canadian women living with anorexia nervosa

BackgroundResearch on the role of exercise in anorexia nervosa is limited to quantitative investigations that foreclose a deeper, more nuanced understanding of participants lived experiences. Therefore, we sought to investigate how 11 Canadian women living with anorexia nervosa between the ages of 18 and 40 experience physical activity.MethodologyA thematic analytic approach that is sensitive to feminist embodiment scholarship was adopted.FindingsFrom “becoming anorexic” to “life after discharge from hospital,” complex experiences characterized women's relationship to activity, such as pleasure, pain, punishment, and the pursuit of thinness. The findings contribute toward the broader mental health field by drawing attention to how the “physical activity and mental health conversation” should perhaps be extended to people living with eating disorders.Future Directions and ConclusionThe many contributions of embodiment scholars such as Gail Weiss, Iris Young, John Evans and Emma Rich help us to theoretically unpack the invariably complex function and meaning of activity in the lives of anorexic women. Based on the findings, we also discuss important, patient-centred future recommendations for the clinical management of activity during treatment.