For decades we have known about the many health benefits of exercising on a regular basis. We know it has positive effects physically, emotionally, spiritually, and mentally. While exercise is important for everyone, it is especially helpful for those in recovery from a drug or alcohol addiction.
Benefits of Regular Exercise in Addiction Recovery
When a person stops drinking or using drugs, their body goes through a series of changes as it readjusts to a life without substances. The person may feel stressed, tired, depressed, or anxious. Regular exercise helps regulate all of these feelings while strengthening the physical body as well.
Exercise Helps Heal the Body
It is common for many people with a drug or alcohol addiction to become so caught up in their disease they neglect their physical health. Their bodies are physically devastated by the toxic substances they use. By stopping their substance abuse, they stop doing further damage to their bodies. By incorporating regular exercise into their day, they can help their body to heal and become physically healthy again.
Exercise Reduces Stress
When you exercise, your body releases brain chemicals called endorphins that create positive feelings like happiness and a sense of calm. Endorphins are what cause a natural “high,” often called a “runner’s high,” which reduces feelings of stress. As you focus on the repetitive movement of exercise, your body releases its tension and lets go of the day’s stresses.
Exercise Improves Mood
Other neurotransmitters released during exercise, such as dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine, also regulate and boost your mood. These chemicals also play a very important role in relieving feelings of anxiety and depression.
Exercise Improves Sleep
Getting regular exercise can help alleviate insomnia, a common side effect of alcohol or drug withdrawal. When a person exercises they generally can fall asleep faster and get better quality sleep. The only caution is that exercising too close to bedtime can make it difficult to fall asleep.
Exercise Protects Against Disease
According to an article in the United States Library of Medicine, exercising regularly helps to keep the body healthy while strengthening and protecting it against diseases such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, hypertension, some cancers, and osteoporosis. It also strengthens your muscles and bones, reduces your risk of falls, and strengthens your immune system.
Exercise Establishes Structure and a Healthy Routine
When a person is recovering from a substance use disorder, they often find themselves with a lot of free time. Exercise is a great way to fill the void and keep the person’s mind and body busy. One of the main reasons relapse occurs is boredom. Exercise provides a healthy activity that fills the time in a positive way.
Exercise Increases Energy
Whether you run, ride a bike, swim, play basketball, or work out at a gym, when you exercise you expend energy. But at the same time, you will have an increase in energy as the endorphins released in your brain boost your energy levels. Exercise also increases your blood circulation and cardiovascular health, allowing more oxygen to be carried throughout your body and brain. This extra oxygen increases endurance and stamina, enabling you to meet the day’s challenges with more energy and calm.
Exercise Improves Self-Confidence and Self-Esteem
When a person is in active addiction, they lose their healthy sense of self. They lose their self-confidence, self-worth, and self-esteem. U.S. News and World Report explains how exercise helps to reestablish feelings of self-confidence and self-esteem. They further explain that the boost in confidence has very little or nothing to do with the quality of how you perform the exercise. For example, it is not how much weight you can bench press or how fast you can run. It is simply the act of doing the exercise regularly that boosts your confidence and provides feelings of accomplishment.
Exercise Helps You Make New Friends and Connections
Exercising is a good way to make new friends and connections in a sober environment. Joining a team, going to the gym, or taking an exercise class is a way to meet new people, form healthy connections, and have fun. Building healthy friendships helps keep away feelings of loneliness and isolation.
Help is Available
Statistics from the Harvard Health Helpguide show that almost 23.5 million people in the United States have a substance use disorder. If you or a loved one is struggling with an addiction to drugs or alcohol, you are not alone. Call and speak to a professional at Canyon Vista Recovery Center located in Mesa, Arizona. Take the first step and learn how you can begin your journey on the path to recovery.
