Four Benefits Of Exercise When Struggling With Addiction – Overcoming addiction is hard. It’s one of the toughest challenges you can ever go through, way more complex and demanding than a marathon, and often it can feel like scaling Mount Everest.
However, there’s plenty of ways to get help with addiction out there, with many drug and alcohol detox centres out there to guide you through the process and help get into a position of recovery. Whatever way you look to fight addiction though, regular exercise at the beginning of recovery is always recommended.
Leading health professionals have long recommended the likes of running, swimming, cycling and, well, any form of exercise in the early stages of recovery for a number of reasons.
But what exactly are the benefits?
Exercise reduces stress levels
When in recovery, stress can be one of the main factors that can lead to relapse if it isn’t managed effectively. There are a number of recommendations to do this from professionals in rehab. Yoga and meditation is one, while exercise is another.
Physical exertion releases feel-good endorphins, while blood circulation through the body also improves, which both can help combat stress and allow you to be more focused and clear in your thinking.
You’ll get a better night’s sleep
Sleeping problems aren’t uncommon when in recovery, and we all know that’s when the likes of anxiety and stress like to rear their ugly heads. It can often cause relapse with many people often turning to drugs and alcohol in order to get sleep.
That isn’t healthy or practical, though, and a much better way to improve your sleeping patterns is by getting regular exercise.
You’ll start to rebuild your immune system
Your immune system can take a bit of a bashing when abusing alcohol and drugs, and when in recovery a big part of it is allowing your body to recover from the damage too. Many studies have found that regular exercise can help protect the body from various conditions and diseases, including stokes, heart disease and cancers.
Your energy levels will increase
Tiredness and mental fatigue can be a decisive factor in relapse, caving to cravings and temptation, so energy levels and mental freshness can be incredibly important.
While you may be expending a lot of energy when you are exercise, you will also receive energy and over time that will build, putting a spring in your step, improving your mood and giving you the feeling that you can tackle anything!
