The Benefits of Being Active in Recovery

Addiction treatment is not an easy accomplishment to obtain. But it can be done. There are many ways to try and achieve lasting sobriety. Group therapy, rehab, cold turkey, and faith are a few examples. Here is one more to add to the list: exercise. This may sound a little bit odd, but it could work out. There are some people who are just too lazy to try and take a jog around the park. But it does not have to be so hard. How can being active help with the recovery process? Here are five benefits to getting in exercise with your addiction treatment.

Kills Stress

Stress will trigger a relapse. It is easy to see why. Work, family, and life, in general, can pile on heavy. If it easy to get away from that with a bottle of booze, a cigarette, or your drug of choice. It does not have to come that to that. Instead of putting your sobriety at risk, get up and go for a jog. A fifteen-minute walk will be all you need to clear your head. How is this even possible? Any physical activity such as jogging and swimming will release a magical chemical in the brain called endorphins. Think of this as a good kind of high. The kind that won’t wreck your addiction treatment in the process.

You Will Sleep Like a Baby

Having trouble sleeping while working with addiction treatment? Why not try a little bit of cardio? When you come off of drugs, it can throw off your sleep patterns. You will find yourself unable to sleep in the long nights. You could try and call someone up to talk. But what if you cannot reach anyone and the cravings start to hit? Well then, it is time to get up and take a nice walk around at night. Just a simple walk or jog will improve how much sleep you get and how well you sleep. In the morning, you will wake up wanting to take on another day of addiction treatment.

Chances of Relapse Go Down

There will always be the threat of relapse to your sobriety. It does not have to be like this. Cut down on the temptations of relapse with a simple jog around the block. Regular exercise can make your addiction treatment stronger. For starters, you are too busy on the treadmill, swimming, or playing ball to even think taking up your addiction. You are focused on meeting the fitness goals that you set for yourself to even get drunk or high. Speaking of high, you will be feeling happy with the chemical endorphins. Your body will act like a counterbalance with this natural high. With endorphins making you happy by nature, why would you need to put your sobriety in jeopardy?

You Will be Healthier

Obviously, when you get your exercise in, you will cut down on the amount of substance abuse that you engaged in once upon a time. Aside from that, you a giving yourself a chance to live longer to enjoy your newfound sobriety a little bit longer. With every day of being active, you will have a good chance of fending off disease. You will have an immune system that is as strong as someone in their early twenties. The chances of you having devastating diseases such as cancer, stroke, heart disease, diabetes, and osteoporosis. Jogging, walking, and engaging in sports will lower your heart and your stress in one go. Your body will not only be heavy like it was in your young but also your mind. That is correct. Being active will also improve your mental health. Studies have found that people with depression have a greater chance of recovery with exercise than goes who took antidepressants alone or in combination with exercise. This is all due to endorphins being released in the brain. Not only will you improve your physical and mental health with daily exercise, but you will have a greater chance of maintaining your sobriety.

You will be a Better Person to be Around

Nobody wants to be around negative people. Addiction treatment can bring out the worst in people before they can fully recover. Again, it does not have to go down this road. This is all thanks to the endorphins being released in your brain when you engage in exercise. Face it, these all mighty endorphins have a better power letting you get high that you could with doing it artificially with harmful drugs. After a good run, you will find yourself in a better mood than when you started. Also, when you are done with your exercise for the day, you will find yourself with more energy to tackle your treatment.

If you or a loved one are struggling with addiction