How Exercise Aids in Addiction Recovery
It is always important to exercise to stay in shape physically and mentally. It is especially helpful for those in recovery as you will get back the dopamine levels that you lost during your addiction. It is best to exercise every week to be in good shape for your recovery ahead.
When you exercise, you are less likely to develop a life-threatening medical condition like diabetes or cardiovascular disease. You will also live longer this way and have more strength and energy when you get older. Exercising will cause you to be in great physical shape as you will burn more calories than you normally would. Exercising is also a great mood booster and a great way to relieve stress during the obstacles you are likely to face during recovery. By releasing endorphins, you are less likely to want to abuse substances. By exercising during recovery, you will be able to increase your confidence, reduce cravings, heal the damage brought by addiction, improve your body image, and improve your overall well-being. Creating an exercise routine will take your mind off drugs.
Popular exercises to do includes yoga to help you physically, spiritually, and mentally without involving too much effort. Taking a fifteen minute walk will reduce your cravings and help your overall brain function by growing new brain cells. Bodyweight exercises and weight training can help reboot your sleeping patterns like doing push-ups. Playing team sports will teach you about leadership and build a sense of community among your teammates. Rehab clinics also offer activities such as rock climbing, rope courses, and obstacle courses to improve your self-confidence while releasing dopamine.
If you have no exercised in a long time, it is important to start slow and keep challenging yourself little by little. It is important to talk to your doctor to discuss your exercise plan and how much to do to avoid overdoing it or not doing enough of it. Pick activities you like to do so that you will have an urge to keep doing them. Make a workout schedule of what days of the week you plan on exercising, what activities, and for how long you plan on doing each activity. You will be motivated to move and push yourself more if you exercise with other people like joining a team or through a MeetUp. You will feel much healthier and better about yourself when you exercise.
