How Physical Fitness Helps Those in Addiction Recovery

Maintaining a Long-Term Healthy Routine

By Guest Blogger Travis White

Due to all the wear and tear put on the body by substance and alcohol abuse, many
people who suffer addiction typically feel tired, depleted and often depressed. When
you’re trying to incorporate a healthier way of living, as a recovering addict, these
changes don’t come without their share of difficulties. However, true health is possible
by incorporating these tips for a well-lived life.

Create An Exercise Regimen

Source: Pixabay.com

According to Newton’s Law, a body in motion stays in motion, and this rings true for exercise. On those days when you feel like doing nothing, this action settles into the rest of your day because your body has become used to being sedentary. However, when you get into the inertia-building movement of fitness, you obtain the energy to keep going. Over time, this momentum keeps building and before you know it you’ve developed quite the routine.

Exercise has profound benefits for the body, such as increased energy, improved quality of sleep and better management of stress levels. With each step that you take, feel-good hormones help keep your mental health in check and encourages self-confidence. It’s a chain reaction; the more confident you feel, the more you’re likely to get up and move. The more you move, the better you feel.

Establish a Self Care Routine

Self-care also has a positive impact on our lives because it provides us with the ability to self-soothe, especially during stressful times. Traditional exercise, such as unning, biking, swimming, to more gentler forms like reading a book, taking a nap, going to the salon, yoga, and meditation, betters our mental state and helps us to avoid relapse by rewiring our brains to think more positively.

Self-care can also boost our self-esteem, according to Healthy Place. When combined with daily practices that provide a sense of calm, you are giving yourself room to increase pleasure in your life. When you carefully incorporate things you enjoy, you’ll help decrease depression and anxiety.

Get Adequate Sleep

According to the National Sleep Foundation, a 10 to 20-minute daily nap may help to elevate alertness, performance, and mood. Too little sleep can inversely spur illness, shorten our lifespan and increase cortisol levels which lead to weight gain. Sleep gives the brain a chance to heal and recuperate from substance abuse so It’s important to get at least 7-9 hours in, which will help keep you feeling rejuvenated and refreshed throughout the day.

Addiction has always been linked to improper sleep habits. Using sleep aids can disrupt your body’s circadian rhythms and leads to daytime sleepiness which increases one’s inability to maintain self-control. Indecisiveness and worsened anxiety are also side effects of not acquiring enough slumber. While sleep aids are generally unharmful to most people, they can become deadly or lead to more addictions or relapses.

Proper Nutrition

Healthy eating and exercise go hand in hand because without proper fuel, your body cannot run as efficiently. Nutrition affects every part of your body, from your brain down to the cellular level, which helps stave off certain cravings while providing your body with the nutrients it needs.

Consuming fruits and vegetables, grains, as well as nuts and fish, that contain omega-3’s will not only help combat diseases such as depression and dementia but when followed by adequate hydration, nutritious foods help to flush out unsightly toxins, which helps recovering addicts to heal much faster. These same foods can also have a huge impact on your skin and have medicinal properties that help to reduce cravings and recalibrate your brain.

Incorporating healthy habits daily into your life will not only combat addictions but will help change your entire outlook. There’s only one you, so treat yourself and your body with love by staying fit and implementing these helpful tips into your daily routine.

Travis White writes about food in his spare time. He enjoys showing LearnFit visitors how to cook restaurant-quality meals at home.