iMove Workbook

Does exercise consume your life?

You are not alone! Many people struggle with compulsive exercise.  Exercise helps manage stress and increase energy.  BUT, when it's the only way you can release stress and feel better... or when it's tied to negative body image and eating disorders.. or OCD, it can become problematic.  If you're feeling like a prisoner to your exercise routine and want out, this is a good place to start!

The iMove Workbook is an 80-page self-paced guide created by Amy Gardner, an experienced eating disorder specialist, dietitian and yoga teacher.  It blends practical self-reflection tools with nervous-system education and somatic practices.  It also offers practical tools you can use to develop an individualized movement plan that fits into your recovery.  Use it on your own or in partnership with your treatment provider(s).

Who is this workbook for?

This workbook is for anyone who feels that exercise has become rigid, guilt-based, addictive, or disruptive to wellbeing or relationships, especially people in eating disorder recovery, trauma-informed therapy, or those who want movement to feel supportive again. It can be used on its own, but is encouraged alongside a trusted clinician or coach.

What's inside?

The workbook is organized into clear, progressive modules that move from education and awareness, to nervous system exploration and regulation, and finally, to reintegration of movement:

•  Explore your relationship with exercise through honest self-assessment and deeper reflection prompts.
•  Set values-aligned goals so your movement choices reflect what truly matters to you, not fear or rules. 
•  Track patterns and triggers with journaling tools and mindful check-ins before/during/after movement. 
•  Understand your nervous system and why compulsive exercise often functions as a regulation strategy. 
•  Learn Polyvagal Theory tools for self-regulation and co-regulation, plus practical applications and activities.
•  Work with sensory integration & interoception to reconnect to internal cues and embodied safety. 
•  Practice breathing, mindfulness, and meditation with step-by-step techniques tailored for regulation. Links to free sample practices provided.
•  Reintroduce movement safely using SEES (Safe Exercise at Every Stage) guidelines and a customizable Movement & Mindfulness Plan. 
•  Stay the course with relapse-prevention strategies, community support, and ongoing journaling pages. 

The Approach - What Makes iMove Different?

iMove integrates the CBT-style models of previous programs with ACT values work and somatic approaches to regulate the nervous system. Instead of labeling compulsive exercise as another "eating disorder behavior", it reframes it as a coping strategy rooted in perfectionism, body image distress, OCD-style rituals, and/or trauma-based fight-flight activation, then teaches alternative ways to complete the stress cycle and feel safe in your body.

Benefits to Using This Workbook

•  Reduce urges to exercise compulsively
•  Learn to tolerate rest, flexibility, and body signals
•  Regulate anxiety and guilt without needing a workout
•  Reconnect with joy, choice, and embodiment in movement
•  Create a sustainable, recovery-supportive movement plan

The workbook also connects to iMove groups and the broader iMove Method community for added support.