The Waltonian

I’ll never forget that phone call almost three years ago now. I’ll never forget the way my best friend’s voice shook when she said the words that I thought might be true but never imagined she’d actually say: “I think I have an eating disorder.” As a track runner, she had always been thin, so no one really thought anything of it when they saw her physical appearance. But as she became more and more busy with school work and social interactions and clubs, her life became harder and harder to control. She joined a running club as a first-year student, and her need to be the best at what she did led to her decision to take in very few calories and force herself to run further distances than she had in the past. Running and her diet became the only things in her life that she had full control over. I watched my best friend go from a content high school track athlete to an obsessive long-distance runner. I watched her just about turn into skin and bones. I watched what eating disorders do to athletes and how severe the effects are and, believe me, it is not something to take lightly.

13.5 percent of athletes have subclinical to clinical eating disorders.

What’s the difference between a subclinical and a clinical eating disorder? Certain criteria must be met in order to be diagnosed with a clinical eating disorder. Someone that exhibits some of the criteria, but not all, may be diagnosed with a subclinical eating disorder. Oftentimes subclinical eating disorders go undiagnosed, so the prevalence of disordered eating among athletes may actually be even higher than statistics show. Athletes that are most likely to engage in disordered eating are those participating in sports that involve weight requirements (e.g., wrestling), sports with revealing uniforms (e.g., swimming, diving), endurance sports, sports at an elite level, sports that focus on the individual rather than the team and, most frequently, aesthetic sports (e.g., gymnastics, figure skating). In fact, statistics show that 42 percent of female athletes competing in aesthetic sports demonstrated disordered eating patterns.

Sports have always been an integral piece of society. They give us a way to connect with others and keep ourselves healthy. But we live in a society that allows us to find our identities in the temporary. For many athletes, they have only ever been known as such. A lot of athletes, especially elite ones, begin their sport at a very young age. Depending on parental support and the various coaches they have been instructed by, the role their sport can play has the potential to become something that is overwhelmingly more important than any other aspect of who they are. Athletes with this kind of experience are a lot more likely to go to extreme lengths to become the best at what they do, even if it could cost them their sports careers or, in some cases, their lives.

So what do we do about this? First of all, if you know an athlete who may be struggling with an eating disorder, talk to a coach or teammate that may know the athlete well. (The last thing you want to do is accuse the athlete of having an eating disorder. This will always backfire.) If that person also expresses concern, try having a conversation with the athlete to gain information about their training. If you’re still concerned, report the behaviors to a coach or professional. This is an extremely sensitive subject. The athlete may not be happy with you for reporting concerns, but your voice could potentially be the thing that saves their life.

As you probably already know, the athletes in your life are more than the sport they play. Remind them of that. Talk to them about life outside of their sport. Encourage them after a bad game or run or performance. It’s time to open our eyes to the prevalence of eating disorders in sports. We may just be able to save some lives by doing so.

Sources: eatingdisorderhope.com, National Eating Disorders Association

Staying healthy in college can be a huge challenge. If you’re anything like me, you played most of the sports you did in high school just to stay in shape. But when I got to college I no longer had the safety net of sports to keep me fit. I knew I had to find another way to exercise. That’s when I took up running. Now, I’ll be honest with you: I’ve hated running for most of my life, and I can’t say that I love it even now. But I’ve taken some steps over the past few years that have made it bearable, and I want to share those with my fellow NARPs (Non-Athletic Regular People) in hopes that maybe it’ll make running a little bit more enjoyable for you.

1. Find a plan and stick to it. Honestly, this has probably been one of my biggest challenges. The running plans I found online were either for people who have never run a day in their lives or people who already run just about every day. My roommate is a pretty consistent runner, and I recently asked her to help me create a running plan that I could stick with. It worked. Don’t be afraid to ask someone who knows what they’re doing to help you create a schedule. Once you’ve found the plan for you, stick to it. It’s going to be hard at first, especially if it’s been a long time since you’ve been on a consistent exercise schedule, but giving up before you finish the plan will be a lot harder.

2. Make a playlist. If you listen to music when you run, create a playlist that will pump you up. Fill it with songs that you love so you’ll look forward to listening to it. Personally, I love listening to my worship playlist on Spotify when I run (typical Christian girl, I know). But it really does focus me and helps me to relax. Find the songs that you enjoy and that will, in turn, make your run more enjoyable.

3. Find a buddy. If you prefer to run with other people, this step pretty much speaks for itself. Personally, I don’t like to run alongside other people. When I run I’m usually already working really hard to focus on actually breathing and moving my legs. Whether you like running with someone, find someone who is on a schedule similar to yours. You don’t necessarily have to run right next to them, but if you go on your runs at the same time you’ll always have an accountability partner. My roommate and I run on the same trail, and we carpool but run separately. It keeps me accountable but also allows me to run according to my own plan.

4. Strength train and rest. Two big mistakes that beginner runners make are not strength training and not giving themselves adequate rest time. Beginner runners should aim to run three to four days per week, strength train two days per week and rest one to two days per week. Be sure to listen to your body. Push yourself, but know when it’s time to take a day off. Strength training helps to prevent injuries and improves your overall health, making running easier.

5. Focus on your goals and take care of your body. Let’s face it, there will always be someone faster than you (unless you’re Usain Bolt, but I hear he’s never even run a mile, so keep that in mind). There will always be someone able to run farther than you. But that’s okay. Focus on your goals. The person that you ran past is not thinking about how slow you’re going or how hard you’re breathing. They’re probably thinking about how they really need to do laundry or what they’re going to make for dinner. Run for yourself. Make a list of reasons why you’re running and reread it often. Take care of your body. Stretch after every run and ice your aches. Take the first step out of your dorm building or apartment and hit the ground running. You’ll be glad you did.