15 Dec Mind, Body, and Recovery: The Integral Role of Exercise in Addiction Treatment
Does Exercise Help with Drug Addiction?
Addiction is a condition that can be treated with appropriate medication and therapy options. People with substance use disorder tend to relapse a lot and often.
Researchers are coming up with new and innovative approaches to help people control their urges. Now, if you need substance to help you survive, you might be suffering from substance use disorder.
It is important that you seek therapy or professional help for your disorder. If not, adopt natural remedies to help you overcome this.
What are Healthy Addictions?
Healthy addictions can be defined as addicted to the things that are beneficial to the body and mind. The things that help you lead a healthy and productive lifestyle.
This can include yoga, meditation, exercise, eating a healthy diet, regular working out, reading, going for walks, or jogging.
Yoga and meditation have proven to have a positive influence on one’s mind and soul. It releases stress and helps improve anxiety levels.
Worldwide, various associations have cited yoga and meditation significantly reduce the tension and stress. Along with yoga, slow breathing sessions, and chanting exercises play a huge role in people’s life.
Is working out a good addiction?
Working out has many benefits for physical health. This kind of physical activity reduces the risk of severe medical illness
- Heart diseases
- High blood pressure
- Vascular diseases
- Obesity
- Cancer
- Diabetes
It even prevents and slows the progression of certain medical health conditions like
- Stroke
- Alzheimer’s
- Parkinson’s
- Dementia
Working out releases pent-up emotions and feelings leading to feeling good about oneself. It can feel like one has done something productive and healthy for their body.
And that addiction helps the body only, making them live a healthier life so why not?
Why do I feel high after the gym?
Working out in a gym can release hormones such as dopamine and serotonin. These are the same hormones that are released when one uses a substance.
So, after gym people are going through an adrenaline rush that has them feeling energetic and can experience positive emotions like they can achieve anything.
Working out increases self-esteem. The released endorphins make one feel euphoric after a workout session leaving the person with a positive outlook toward life. Improved psychological awareness is a key factor after working out.
This is even referred to as ‘runner’s high’ because of the feelings one experiences after an intense workout.
When one is working out, the body transitions to a phase of breathing heavier, the pulse increases because the body works more to pump blood to the brain and muscles.
Through this process, the release of hormones and chemicals prevents an individual from experiencing pain in the muscles.
After the gym and intense workout, the body experiences a relaxed state due to endocannabinoids which are biochemical substances same like cannabis.
These are the reasons why a person feels high after an intense workout in the gym.
Does exercise release dopamine?
All around the world, people who work out, and exercise are physically active and tend to live a healthier life. They are satisfied with their life and have a stronger sense of purpose.
These feelings help them be content and are less at risk of depression or suffering from loneliness. So, what is the reason behind this?
It’s simple because when we exercise, the brain areas that regulate stress response like the amygdala and prefrontal cortex are rich in endocannabinoids.
These substances reduce anxiety and release a sense of contentment. These substances even increase the brain’s reward system like dopamine and serotonin.
Exercise helps us connect with others, strengthening relationships. A lot of people use this opportunity to exercise together and spend more time. This brings people closer to each other eliminating bitter feelings.
Does exercise reduce stress study?
Exercise gives one’s brain centers a jolt that helps people experience feelings of pleasure, and anticipation along with maintaining hope.
It allows people to feel good about themselves and elevate their mood instantly. Researchers have shown that exercise can help people struggling with depression and addiction by distracting them from the actual substance.
When one regularly exercises, the dopamine levels increase and so do their receptors. This way exercise can help relieve depression and anxiety.
After a good amount of exercise, the individual gets a good night’s sleep with improved mood and reduced stress.
What is a positive and negative addiction to exercise?
Exercise can have positive addiction effects beginning with an increase in energy levels and feeling refreshed. For example,
- When an individual is sleepy, they can go for a brisk walk that can help boost their energy levels.
- A regular exercise routine can help set the day in motion. It improves the quality of living and gives a sense of purpose.
- Exercise helps boost the immune system, and makes people more enduring and resilient with increasing bone and muscle tone.
- People who have a lot of free time can use the extra time to dedicate themselves to their bodies and improve mindfulness.
The negative addiction to exercise can impact people in a certain way. For most people, exercise is a healthy way to reduce stress and commit to something.
However, sometimes people take exercising very seriously leading to serious injuries or some health problems.
Substance abusers are prone to developing this negative addiction because they give all their energy and time to working out.
Does Exercise Help with Drug Addiction? Too much exercise can drain their energy and make them tired. People must understand the thin line between being healthy and making it an obsession.
How does exercise help in recovery?
Exercise helps in recovery in a lot of ways according to the studies. For example,
- Regular exercise can help ease the withdrawal symptoms and reduce anxiety, depression, and stress. It might help one prevent from relapsing.
- A substance abuser can get cravings from time to time and a lot of times it gets difficult to not act on them. It can curb cravings and distract an individual from this feeling.
- Triggers can frequently put the people back to square one when dealing with addiction. Exercise routine can give an individual something to look forward to.
- Physical activity can help mind work better and the chances of relapse are low. When one thinks clearly and the mind is stable the odds of recovery are better.
- It improves sleep and regular exercise can even improve the sleep cycle.
- It can boost self-esteem and self-control because when an individual feels good about themselves, they can manage their life better.
Does adding exercise to treatment may reduce substance use study shows?
Exercise routine helps maintain sobriety by increasing the amount of happy hormones released. Physical and mental health are connected in more than one way and exercising gives the opportunity to improve this relationship.
When a person is recovering from substance use disorder, exercising can have a positive impact both on the brain and the body.
When the brain is recovering, any extra time where one doesn’t have anything to do, their brain gets spiraling thoughts. So, to prevent this, having a routine where one is busy can help the matters.
Exercise can raise positive feelings about the body and help maintain the self-image and self-esteem. Taking good care of the body boosts self-confidence. Having a fitness goal can give the idea that one is capable of doing hard things.
A person who is addicted to substance needs the motivation and confidence to do what is needed for their survival.
And, when an individual achieves these goals, it gives them a sense of purpose and confidence that they can turn their life around.
Exercise is a good way to relieve stress and heal from this journey of self-recovery.
There’s a neuropsychiatrist in Patna, Dr. Vivek Pratap Singh. He can help and offer more information about how exercise can benefit people who are addicted to substances.
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