If you want to live a life away from addictive substances, the first thing to consider is seeking a professional help. Once inside the therapy facility, you need to live a healthier lifestyle and change your way of living. Physical exercise is one of the most important tool to help you battle with stress while in the addiction treatment process.
Addiction
According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, addiction is a state in which your body develops a tolerance to a substance and abruptly stopping from the following substances will give you unpleasant withdrawal symptoms. Tolerance to a substance means that your body desires a higher dose of the substance in order to attain the same effect. Withdrawal symptoms are the undesired effects of the substance once it is not taken or it’s stopped abruptly. Withdrawal symptoms are usually the opposite effect of the substance taken.
Benefits of Physical Exercise
According to Drug-Rehab.com, a vital aspect of an addiction recovery plan is exercise. Exercise releases the hormone endorphin which gives the happy feeling. When a person engages in an exercise program he’ll have a clear mind, mental and physical strength which will help cope with stress and overcome addiction. It also helps in managing cravings by diverting your mind towards the activity. It creates a positive attitude towards achieving your goal of a drug or alcohol-free life. The best exercises are hiking, walking, and running.
Types of Exercise
Your level of physical fitness will identify what type of exercise and the appropriate length of time that will fit you. Begin with light exercises and slowly increase your physical exercises until it has reached your comfortable level of fitness routine. Engaging in an aerobic activity every day for thirty minutes will be helpful. A moderate-intensity aerobic activity is walking. Jogging, swimming and bicycling are other types of an aerobic activity you can engage in. Another useful type of exercise is strength training. You can do this for at least twice a week. Weight-lifting is a good example of strength training.
Great Effects
A study by the National Institute on Drug Abuse shows that physical exercise is now playing a significant role in therapy programs helpful in overcoming an addiction to nicotine. Stress and weight gain are the common issues in smokers that can’t be solved by a standard nicotine replacement. Exercise gives a positive impact on smokers on the study that’s why there is an ongoing research to know other benefits exercise could give in relation to addiction.
Yoga Exercise
Yoga is an exercise that could create a clear mind through meditation or mindfulness. It helps the abusers concentrate on their goal while on addiction therapy. Psychology Today website stated that there are many researches that prove the benefits of yoga in addiction treatment. It could give positive energy and healing stability to the patient during recovery.
