Summary:
This article reviews the importance of exercising to maintain sobriety, and answers key questions about the frequency and type of exercise that are best for those in recovery.
The importance of exercise in maintaining sobriety stretches to multiple areas of physical and mental well-being. Maintaining sobriety is a complex lifelong journey that often requires individuals to find new hobbies, build new skill sets, and sustain new relationships.
Participation in traditional therapy and support groups is a foundation to recovery but beyond that exercise is one of the foremost evidence-based tools for supporting long-term recovery and preventing a relapse by offering a healthy replacement for dopamine, normalizing brain chemistry, and reducing stress responses.
Exercise and Mindfulness
The importance of exercise can extend to building mindfulness practices, learning to pause before reacting and noticing the way the body responds to triggers. Many clients struggle with diminished impulse control and emotional regulation as a result of things like substance abuse or mental health disorders.
During our recovery programs, we encourage physical activity as a key part of recovery plans focusing on things like yoga or mindfulness. Yoga is one of the most successful forms of exercise for people in recovery as it helps to encourage mindfulness, diminishing symptoms of anxiety or depression by bringing the focus to the present moment instead of the past or the future.
Building a Routine
Individuals who participate in our inpatient or outpatient programs will have regularly scheduled physical activity as part of their daily services. This is a critical part of the recovery process, helping to provide structure and routine for clients.
When in recovery, many people find that they have a lot more free time than they expected and healthy exercise routines can fill that free time in a structured approach.
Fostering Socialization
When exercising in group situations like the group physical activity classes offered at our facility, individuals can build their self-esteem, find a constructive outlet for frustration or pent up energy, all while building relationships with other people who are going through similar struggles. These classes can help overcome feelings of isolation that are far too common in the early stages of recovery and provide an outlet for safe and sober social interactions.
Improving Sleep
When exercise is tackled on a regular basis, it can lead to many physical improvements as well as improved sleep. Clients who are in recovery will typically struggle in early stages with things like anxiety and insomnia. It can be difficult to get enough sleep or adequate sleep when dealing with early stages of detox.
Regular exercise helps to improve overall health by strengthening the immune system and repairing damage that addiction causes while also improving sleep quality.
Caring for Your Health with Sequoia Detox Centers
At Sequoia Detox Centers, we offer a full range of care from residential/inpatient care to outpatient/aftercare. During these levels of care our clients learn about the importance of exercise on recovery and sustained sobriety.
At our facility we teach each client how nutrition and wellness programs can support their recovery whether through an inpatient or outpatient program. Our aim is to ensure that each client gets the level of care they need and in many cases has access to multiple levels of care in a step-down approach.
With individual treatment, incorporating holistic modalities, we provide our clients with the chance to not only learn the importance of exercise and maintaining sobriety but establishing the habit before returning home.
Don’t wait to get help. Call our team today to learn how we incorporate exercise into all of our recovery programs.
FAQ
How Does Exercise Prevent a Relapse?
Exercise can help prevent a relapse by increasing serotonin and dopamine, both of which get depleted with substance use, and decreasing stress. Individuals who are struggling with their recovery can turn to exercise as a healthy alternative to the pleasure or high produced by drugs and alcohol. Moreover, regular exercise can decrease cortisol levels, the stress hormone, making it easier to handle challenges without using drugs or alcohol.
Can Exercise Reduce Cravings in Recovery?
Yes, regular exercise can ease cravings by releasing things like dopamine and norepinephrine. These chemicals help to activate positive reward systems in the brain and suppress negative emotions that might encourage individuals toward drugs or alcohol.
Does Exercise Have to be Hard to Help Maintain Sobriety?
No it does not. In fact, even a short, 15 minute walk can help reduce immediate cravings and make it easier for individuals to maintain their sobriety.
Can Exercise Help with Mental Health?
Yes, regular exercise has been proven just as effective as certain medications for mild to moderate depression or anxiety. Individuals who are trying to maintain their sobriety often have to contend with depression or anxiety as co-occurring disorders but regular exercise can lower the stress hormone cortisol, stabilize mood, and help reduce these symptoms.
Can Exercise Help with Insomnia and Maintaining Sobriety?
Yes, exercise can help individuals maintain their sobriety by improving sleep. Many people who are in their early recovery will experience problems with insomnia and sleep but regular exercise can help increase deep sleep and keep individuals motivated to stay sober.
How Often Do You Have to Exercise to Maintain Sobriety?
There is no specific amount of time, what matters most is that individuals in recovery exercise regularly. This might start with a regular fitness routine to provide discipline and a structured schedule that helps overcome post-rehab free time. This is particularly important for people who have recently finished an inpatient or outpatient treatment program because it helps to avoid boredom which is a common trigger for relapse. Beyond that, regular, short exercise like 15 minute walks can help with immediate cravings or strong emotions.
Does Exercise Help with Self-Esteem in Recovery?
Yes, exercise has been shown to boost self-confidence and self-esteem. This is especially important for building self-efficacy, helping an individual stay motivated in their sobriety and recognize that they have the ability to achieve sobriety in the short and long term. With exercise, completing regular, structured activities on a daily basis can serve as a form of goal setting and goal achieving. Similarly, learning a new yoga pose, running a new distance or a new time, or lifting a heavier set of weights can all help build self-confidence and recovery.
Are There Social Benefits Associated with Exercising While Sober?
Yes, there are many social benefits including social connection and accountability which can help individuals maintain their sobriety. Individuals who participate in things like walking clubs, fitness classes, or who attend a gym regularly will have an opportunity to build healthy relationships in an environment that is not associated with drug use or drinking. Moreover this helps to reduce the isolation that many people feel when they are in the early stages of recovery.
Does Exercise Help Rebuild the Brain After Drug Use?
Yes, some research indicates that exercise can increase blood flow to the prefrontal cortex which helps to rebuild areas that might have been damaged or atrophied by substance abuse. The more physical activity an individual gets, the better they will be at controlling their impulsivity or making decisions, two areas that are often impaired by regular drug use or alcohol abuse.
What Type of Exercise is Best to Maintain Sobriety?
This is different for everyone but many low-impact activities like yoga are a great place to start, as well as more challenging outdoor activities that revolve around nature and socialization like rock climbing or walking. What matters most is that you find a type of exercise that fits your abilities and your personal preferences, perhaps something that can be done in a group setting, something that builds your self-confidence, or something that is more accessible in the privacy of your home depending on your needs.
