The road to recovery can be a long, arduous path for many. Early sobriety is filled with many bumps and turns and the challenges can be overwhelming at best. Since the first few months are most critical, it is important for those in recovery to create a strategic plan against relapse.
There is a strong correlation between a healthy life style and sobriety. Here are six ways adding exercise into your routine can assist you in your recovery journey.
1. Exercise enhances your mood by releasing endorphins and dopamine.
2. Structure and routine are imperative in early recovery and maintaining a healthy exercise schedule will be helpful
3. Exercise is a great outlet for extra time and/or boredom. Since they say that “idle time is the devil’s playground”, why not transfer that time to something empowering and productive?
4. Early recovery is filled with anxieties and stress of “real-life” circumstances. And exercise reduces stress and has a strong correlation to mental health. Physical activities such as yoga and meditation can result in increased levels of natural stress relievers. You don’t have to run a marathon to get that “runners high”, any aerobic exercise increases the oxygen that flows to the muscles which just feels good.
5. Exercise helps to improve body image and self-esteem because exercise positively impacts the way you look and feel.
6. A healthy exercise routine positively impacts sleep which is imperative for overall mental health.
There are many activities which are healthy and fun in recovery:
· Hiking
· Weightlifting
· Biking
· Rock climbing
· Yoga
· Zumba
· Tennis
· Golf
No matter what you decide to do, just get started and enjoy your new life in recovery. The greatest wealth is health.