American society is constantly coming out with the next big fix, whether it is for weight loss or skin tightening. Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a secret weapon to recovery as well? The good news is exercise is not a fad and can be completed for free. It promotes better physical and mental health, as well as helps us to find new social circles and hobbies. Thankfully, it can help us take back a lot of the things that active addiction has stolen from us. It may even aid in improved situations prior to addiction!
What Can Exercise Do For Me?
Addiction steals everything from an addict or an alcoholic. The drug or alcohol becomes the primary focus, while social, familial, educational, recreational, and occupational realms fall to the wayside. Exercise tends to be one of the areas that become neglected by those in active addiction. Thus, physical and emotional health can decline during active addiction. The good news is regular exercise can even aid in reducing your chance of being diagnosed with a substance use disorder in the future. It also has been found to decrease the risk of ever using illicit drugs. This is not only the case for human beings but also for laboratory animals.
What does working out do for our brains? Exercise increases our neurotransmitters. Working out helps the brain release 5-HT, which has been found to directly relate to decreased central fatigue. Associated monoamines decrease feelings of us being tired, and increase sleep health and motivational drive. Exercise increases an individual’s metabolism, and encourages emission of neurotrophic features, vasculotropic influences, and inflammatory mediators. Dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin are also increased during training.
As with anything, it is important to pace ourselves. No matter how positive our behaviors may be, anything can turn into an addiction if we do not regulate associated habits and actions. It is important to have more than one coping skill as well. Unfortunately, working out can lead to injuries, especially if it is overdone. Training too much can cause increased feelings of fatigue.
Where to Turn as an Addition to Utilizing Exercise as a Sober Coping Skill
Alternative substance abuse rehabs such as Discovery Place are great resources to help get you on your feet in a sober manner. Just off of Spencer Road in Burns, Tennessee, Discovery Place keeps its doors open to anyone requiring our assistance. We do not discriminate and allow anyone to take part in our programs as long as they are wanting to achieve sobriety from alcohol, cannabis, opiates, or illicit drugs. To help with this, our non-profit center provides very affordable programs along with scholarship opportunities. That’s not all: we do not stop helping you continue with your recovery after you leave Discovery Place. If you find yourself struggling after taking part in one of our programs, we offer a week-long free stay with us to help you get back on your feet. Call us today at 1-800-725-0922.
