Shoulders Down

🏃‍♀️ Extractive vs. Regenerative Movement: Reframing Your Relationship with Running with Karly Borden

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In this episode of Shoulders Down, Leah sits down with Karly Borden, founder of The Public Run Club, to explore what it really looks like to rebuild a relationship with running after disordered eating.

Karly shares her personal story of navigating eating disorder recovery and the often-overlooked challenge of returning to exercise in a way that feels safe, grounded, and self-trust-driven. Together, they unpack the tension between discipline and intuition, and why so many people feel stuck in the “murky middle” of movement — not fully disordered, but not fully free either.

Leah and Karly also dive into Karly’s Intuitive Athlete Cycle, a powerful framework for approaching movement in a sustainable, non-extractive way that honors the body’s natural rhythms rather than forcing constant progress.

You’ll hear about:

  • Karly’s personal journey with running, disordered eating, and recovery
  • Why movement is often the missing piece in eating disorder recovery
  • The difference between extractive vs. regenerative movement
  • How to approach fitness goals without slipping into disordered patterns
  • Karly’s Intuitive Athlete Cycle and how it supports sustainable movement
  • Practical tools for tuning into your body before, during, and after exercise

Mentioned in the Episode:

More from Karly:

More From Leah:

📚 Sources 📚

  • On the body as a site of self-trust: Inspired by Caldwell, C., & Leighton, L. B. (Eds.). (2018). Oppression and the Body: Roots, Resistance, and Resolutions. North Atlantic Books.
  • On the hypothetical gaze, body-object, and eating disorders emerging in puberty: McBride, H. L. (2019). “Embodiment and Body Image: Relating and Exploring Constructs.” In H. L. McBride & J. L. Kwee (Eds.), Embodiment and Eating Disorders: Theory, Research, Prevention and Treatment. Routledge.