Therapist told me I should be working out?

I've put on like 5 pounds since our last session because of covid and this 5 day steroid I'm on for this frigging scary cough I had, and today my therapist was all like "how about you start working out on your treadmill? I didn't bring up my weight or food at all today. She just randomly said it. So now she wants me to do 20 minutes a day starting next Tuesday.

Was she talking directly about my weight gain or did she just word it badly or something? I don't really know how to bring up weight stuff because shes about 80 pounds heavier then I am.

Did you mention any sort of increased anxiety, insomnia, or depression or some physical symptoms like fatigue that she thinks some exercise might help with? Or maybe she's talking about a moderate amount of activity improving the immune system (maybe relevant given recently getting sick) That'd be the most innocent explanation, anyways. Your therapist seems really odd though. Have you tried asking her to explain why she asks stuff like that when it comes across as out of place? I think it'd be easier for someone to give a real answer in the context of the whole session which she has (and of course she's the therapist who knows her own approach).

You talk about weight and size a lot. It is hardly surprising that she will talk to you in a similar vein.

Exercise has more benefit and is for other purposes than mere weight loss. You are focused on weight often it seems -but exercise can be useful in a lot of different ways. Exercise is not even the best way to manage weight. I would not assume she mentioned exercise because of anything to do with weight

You mentioned not feeling well so she possibly suggested exercise as to help you feel better.

I’m guessing it was a suggestion to restore your strength and improve general wellbeing. Can also help with symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Did she say "I want you to...".. You know you can say you'd rather not and ask why she's suggested it..

She randomly said "how about we plan to do 20 minutes a day on our treadmills starting on Tuesday and then report back to each other at our next session on how we did."

Eesh....it seems to me that she's really trying to get you to be her 'accountability buddy'.

Not cool.

No therapist should ask that of a client unless they are working with the client on fitness goals.

Reading that back, I recognise that the gym is a more appropriate environment to focus on fitness.

Doesn't seem to me like that's the focus of your work with her, right?

Sounds more like a private trainer than therapy..

Yeah, I was also thinking it sounded like she wanted MountainDewed to be an accountability buddy, which isn't right.

My therapist will occasionally say things like, "You know how I feel about exercise being helpful" or something like that. But he doesn't push it on me. He knows that I know I should be more active and that if he pushes that (or anything really), it doesn't tend to go well. It needs to come from me, not him (or anyone else).

It might be her way to encourage you? You could always just say no thanks.