Maintaining a fit and healthy body is one of the most crucial aspects of drug addiction treatment. Although most addiction treatments address the mental and emotional components of this disease, physical stressors can easily threaten rehab patients’ recoveries. Here are a few of the best fitness programs for drug addiction treatment.
Weight Lifting
Weight lifting isn’t just for bodybuilders and other people who want to be big and strong. Intense resistance training is an anaerobic activity. It depletes the body of oxygen and causes the production of lactic acid – the chemical responsible for that “burning” sensation during exercise.
This type of exercise is superior for recovering addicts because it causes the largest releases of dopamine. Dopamine is the same feel-good neurotransmitter which is responsible for the euphoria-inducing effects of most drugs. By regularly experiencing these effects through weight lifting, addicts can directly reduce their cravings for drug-induced dopamine releases.
Running
For addicts who enjoy aerobic exercise, running can be a great way to relieve stress and fend off drug cravings. For many people, long runs offer the same stress-relieving effects as spring, lifting, and other anaerobic exercises. They can also be meditative and allow addicts to self-reflect and engage in other recovery efforts while they work out. Finally, running burns calories like almost no other type of exercise and can help rehab patients maintain healthy bodyweights.
Low-Sugar Diets
Nutrition is just as important as exercise when it comes to staying healthy and fit. While many people take their diets for granted, people who attend drug addiction treatment must constantly practice proper nutritional habits.
One of the most parts of healthy eating is avoiding excessive amounts of sugar. While the natural sugars in fruit are fine, refined and packaged foods contain unhealthy concentrations which can cause massive spikes and dips in blood sugar. This leads to exhaustion and irritability – horrible for people struggling to deal with stress-induced drug cravings after leaving a drug addiction treatment program.
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