A Healthy Lifestyle Helps Addiction Recovery

A healthy lifestyle can make a big difference to individuals who are trying to stay clean, remaining drink and drug free in addiction recovery. Eating properly, exercising and learning how to relax is said to improve the health of people addicted to alcohol or other drugs, both physically and emotionally. This healthy lifestyle of addiction recovery goes a long way towards relapse prevention.

Leisure and Exercise

Both leisure and exercise reduce stress, which is a major factor as not coping well with stress can be a trigger for relapse. Learning to handle stress through healthier means in a key aspect of early addiction recovery. Exercise and leisure time decrease boredom, another potential trigger for relapse. In early addiction recovery people can often find themselves asking ‘how do I stay sober?’ Having to completely restructure your life and relearn how to socialize, work, love and play – all while “clean and sober” can seem an impossible task.

The benefits of leisure time and exercise are the restoration of balance in life, which is vital for emotional well-being during addiction recovery. Any gentle physical activity helps to improve general health.

Start Slowly

It is best to consult a doctor or medical professional before embarking on an exercise regime, particularly if you have not exercised for a while. Often addicts and alcoholics can be people of extremes and the tendency in early addiction recovery may be to jump in and become super fit, strong and healthy in record time! Rather start slowly and progress consistently than leap into a rigid program and burn out. The main aim of the exercise is to increase your physical activity at a pace that you are comfortable with. A regular walk or cycle around three times a week is sufficient. Perhaps take up a sport that you enjoyed in the past such as tennis or basketball.

Also as we’re new to addiction recovery, learning a little about a specific payer in a local team may be a good way to have some common ground to talk to new people you meet.

Be Sure to Relax

Taking time out to relax is essential for addiction recovery. Everyone relaxes in different ways, whether it be reading, sleeping or taking up a hobby. Find out what it is that causes you to relax and make sure to do it on a regular basis.

Eating Patterns

Healthy eating patterns are the partner to exercising. Most addicts and alcoholics have spent so much time doing drugs and alcohol that eating properly has not entered the equation. In fact, many alcoholics are diagnosed with some stage of malnutrition. A lot of street drugs act as appetite suppressants resulting in many addicts who have missed meals because they were not hungry. Good nutrition is essential to addiction recovery as it diminishes the post acute withdrawal symptoms that you can encounter. It also replenishes and restores your substance-abused body.

Discuss diet choices with your addiction recovery support group and exchange ideas on how to eat more healthily. It will make you feel much better during your recovery.

Balanced Diet

A balanced diet is key to healthy eating. Food from the different food groups are necessary for a balanced diet, namely proteins such as meat, poultry, and fish; dairy products; five servings of fruits and vegetables; and carbohydrates, which include bread and grains. Make sure to drink sufficient water during the day too. Use the challenge of adapting to this healthy lifestyle of addiction recovery from the old patterns of substance abuse.