When you use drugs and alcohol in excess, both your body and mind suffer due to the consequences. Addiction alters the chemistry of your body. Once the narcotics have gone from your system, you may experience feelings of anxiety, depression, and heightened sensitivity to some of life’s big stresses. How can you heal this addiction?
The good news is that engaging in exercise therapy may assist you in shifting the tide of negative feelings and bring about some favorable outcomes. Getting regular exercise has several established advantages, regardless of whether you are new to addiction recovery or have been free of hazardous drugs for many years. Read on to learn more.
What is the Role of Exercise in the Recovery Process?
Exercise and alcohol recovery has been linked in several studies, and studies have shown that they are related. Exercise, according to research, causes the release of endorphins in the body, resulting in a natural high. The endorphins in this group are the same sort of endorphins that are produced by those who abuse narcotics.
A study published in the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry, which is affiliated with the National Institute of Health, found that “accumulating evidence suggests that exercise influences many of the same signaling molecules and neuroanatomical structures that mediate the positive reinforcing effects of drugs.” The findings of these researchers demonstrated that exercise had protective benefits in procedures that were meant to replicate the many transitional periods that occur during the development of and recovery from a drug use problem.”
In another study conducted on rats, researchers provided the rats with a dispenser containing a variety of pharmaceuticals such as nicotine, morphine, and amphetamines, among other things.
The evidence, therefore, suggests that physical activity may play a significant role in providing a healthy alternative to drug abuse.
Benefits of Healing Addiction Damage with Exercise
You get many perks for choosing to use exercise as therapy for addiction damage. The benefits to the body itself are endless and more when you’re in recovery. Let’s examine some of these benefits quickly:
It Reduces Stress
Managing stress effectively throughout addiction treatment may be challenging and can result in relapse if not done correctly. Exercise is one of the most effective methods of reducing and controlling stress. Physical exercise stimulates the production of feel-good endorphins in the brain and enhances circulation, both of which are beneficial in managing stress.
It Helps you Sleep Better
Having difficulty sleeping is not unusual throughout the rehabilitation process. In reality, many individuals begin abusing alcohol or drugs because they believe that these substances would aid them in getting the rest they need to function well. Regular exercise may help you sleep better and sleep longer by improving both the quality and amount of your sleep.
The SMART Recovery website states that “as the body and mind continue to return to a more normal condition, many individuals in recovery find that exercise also assists them in restoring a regular sleep routine.”
It Improves your Mood
Although mood shifts are often connected with addiction recovery, you may assist your body in adjusting to its new circumstances by training it to naturally manufacture the feel-good chemicals that were previously sought artificially via drug use.
Exercise causes the production of endorphins in the brain, which induces emotions of pleasure and well-being in the body. According to the Mayo Clinic, simply 30 minutes of physical activity every day is sufficient to produce a beneficial improvement in mood and outlook.
You Have More Energy
When you run, swim, or ride a bicycle, you may spend a lot of energy, but you will also gain a lot of energy in return for your efforts. In the event that your rehabilitation has left you feeling fatigued and sluggish at times, frequent exercise is one of the most effective strategies to put a spring in your step again.
Your Immune System Becomes Stronger
According to the Office of Disease Prevention and Health, Exercise on a daily basis may help protect your body against some dangerous disorders such as cancer and heart disease. It can also help protect your body from depression, diabetes, and osteoporosis.
Exercise Therapy Helps Ward Off Relapsing
Regular movement may help avoid a relapse into alcohol or drug abuse, which is perhaps the most compelling reason to engage in regular exercise while recovering from addiction. According to a slew of research, regular exercise may enhance the abstinence rate for drug abuse by as much as 95 percent. These studies also discovered that exercise may assist in managing stress, depression, and anxiety, all of which can lead to the use of substances.
How Much Physical Exercise Should You Get?
Currently, experts are unsure about the best beneficial “dosage.” Until we learn more, you should strive to engage in the same amount of physical exercise as the rest of the population. Every week, you should engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of intensive training; we should add strength exercise twice a week.
Can Exercise Be Unhealthy?
Exercise therapy is really great but could become a problem if misused. This condition is often described as exercise addiction. For the vast majority of individuals, regular physical exercise is completely safe. However, just like with narcotics and alcohol, it is easy to overdo it or develop a need for exercise. Evidence suggests that those who have another addiction are more prone to suffer from this. However, additional study is needed to determine if this is indeed something that impacts persons with SUD more than the general populace.
If you see that you are beginning to exercise in an unhealthy manner, you should consult your doctor. Excessive physical activity might increase your risk of injury, as well as anxiety, sadness, and social difficulties.
Getting Treatment for Addiction in Orange County, CA
Now that you know every detail about healing addiction damage with exercises, you’re good to go. Make sure to avoid overstretching limits and getting addicted! Consistently following your set exercise routine is the best way to get great results in healing addiction damage.
While exercise is helpful to repair damage caused by addiction, it’s not a substitute for traditional treatment. If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction in Orange County, CA, we urge you to call 855-953-1345 and talk to a member of the Opus Health team today.
