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Addiction Recovery Blog

Exercise and Addiction Recovery

a person does a squat to demonstrate exercise and addiction recovery

Addiction weakens the body, both physically and mentally. For those who have suffered from a substance use disorder, it’s common for the body to have grown weak after years of drug use. Some organs may not work as well, or muscle mass may have severely degraded. Proper exercise and addiction recovery are more interconnected than most people think. Focusing on fitness and nutrition for addiction recovery has become a core component of many treatment centers. It improves a neglected body and can also relieve stress and difficult emotions.

Building physical and mental strength go hand in hand. While it’s essential to treat the damage that addiction has done in the past, strengthening the body for the future can prepare you for a life without drugs or alcohol. At Footprints Beachside Recovery, providing exercise therapy ensures our patients return to living whole, rewarding lives. If you’re interested in our rehabilitation center’s exercise programs, call us at 727-954-3908 and learn more today.

How Addiction Weakens the Body

Different substances will impact the body differently, which becomes clearer given enough time. Overall, drug abuse tends to cause specific organs to reduce their productivity. For instance, extended drug usage can cause cardiovascular processes to slow, resulting in blood flowing less efficiently throughout the body. This results in poor oxygen circulation, causing exhaustion to occur much faster. As a result, drug addiction can make staying at the same level of physical fitness even harder.

It’s not just the physical ramifications of substance use that can harm physical fitness. Addiction can also impact other circumstances surrounding fitness, such as motivation, funds available for gym memberships, and time management. These can contribute to a more sedentary lifestyle, which leads to weight gain and posture issues. With all these factors combined, it’s no surprise that many people’s physical fitness plummets after drug use.

Benefits of Fitness and Recovery

Maintaining physical fitness is always challenging, whether drugs are involved or not. In situations where drugs seriously impact an individual’s fitness, it’s common that their emotional state tanks as well. Exercise is a source of activity, a way to engage in self-improvement, and a general positive boost to one’s mood. We provide several ways for our patients to put their physical health first in more ways than just sobriety.

Attention to exercise and nutrition provide tangible signs of healing during addiction recovery. Feeling a healthier version of oneself is a powerful incentive to remain sober. Exercise also provides an emotional outlet, with many using it as an escape from the stressors of everyday life. Some other proven benefits of fitness during recovery include:

  • Improved physical strength
  • Decreased anxiety and depression
  • Improved self-esteem and confidence
  • Increased focus and concentration
  • Cognitive development

Exercise can be a powerful tool for those recovering from addiction. It rebuilds the physical and mental body to help individuals gain the confidence and strength to stay sober. At Footprints Beachside Recovery, we provide exercise therapy as part of our comprehensive addiction treatment program.

Regain Your Mental and Physical Strength at Footprints Beachside Recovery

At Footprints Beachside Recovery, our structured approach to treatment makes planning diets and exercise routines easy. Part of our treatment plan focuses on restoring our patients’ fitness to new heights. We offer numerous additional therapeutic options because we believe in the importance of holistic recovery.

  • Cognitive-behavioral therapy
  • Dialectical behavioral therapy
  • Yoga therapy
  • Massage therapy
  • Dieting
  • Exercise routine

Proper exercise and addiction recovery are part of our core philosophy. Treating addiction at every turn is the best way to ensure a complete recovery. If you’ve noticed a decline in fitness after drug use, it’s important to regain that lost strength during treatment. Contact us today at 727-954-3908 or by filling out our secure online form to learn more about our integrated fitness programs.