Recovering from addiction can be challenging and you need all the help you can get to keep from relapsing. Developing an exercise routine is one of the effective ways for you to maintain sobriety while doing something healthy and constructive.
Listed below are a few of the many ways that exercise can help support your journey toward recovery.
Exercise Helps You Sleep
Insomnia is a common withdrawal symptom for those in recovery, and if you’re having trouble sleeping, exercise can be beneficial. Working out helps enhance your sleep quality, increasing your chance of sleeping through the night. This, in turn, makes you feel more rejuvenated and alert so you can easily stick to your recovery goals.
It Helps Curb Cravings
Exercising helps improve blood circulation through the body, increasing oxygen and nutrient supply to the muscles and organs. It also puts you in a pleasant mood and gives you an energy boost, all of which play a role in keeping substance cravings away. Having increased energy throughout the day helps resist the urge to drink or use drugs.
Exercise Fills Your Time and Thoughts
Part of recovery involves picking up healthy hobbies and activities that help you pass the time and keep your mind away from thoughts of drugs and alcohol. Exercise fits the bill by keeping you busy while boosting your overall well-being. Additionally, having attainable fitness goals gives you something to work towards, and achieving them helps boost your self-confidence.
Exercise Heals Your Body
Addiction eventually takes a toll on your body, contributing to poor health and illness. Exercise, however, can reverse this by boosting white cell production and oxygen circulation to help your body fight off disease and reverse any physical damage. Furthermore, exercising also boosts feel-good hormones in the body, alleviating depression and anxiety.
Exercise Provides Structure and Routine
A life of addiction is often chaotic, but having a daily or weekly exercise regimen can provide much-needed structure and routine. Following a fitness schedule while in recovery helps you learn how to keep and manage your time while doing something constructive, giving you a feeling of being in control of your life.
Fitness Classes Create Healthy Relationships
Joining a fitness class is a great way for you to work out while meeting and interacting with others. Some addiction treatment centers even provide fitness programs for those in recovery, which can help you make new friends, keep accountable, and receive support, all while being engaged in healthy sober activities.
Get Started on Your Recovery Journey
If you’re looking for a way to get started on your recovery journey, Grand Falls Center for Recovery can help. Our combination of evidence-based addiction treatment programs and a client-focused approach to treatment has made us the premier rehab facility in Missouri. Our treatment programs range from detox to residential and outpatient programs, all designed to help those struggling with addiction. Contact us today, and we’ll help you turn your life around.