Addiction recovery is highly associated with detoxification and therapy. Rightly so, as they are leading and proven treatment options.
Yet addiction recovery is a thorough, comprehensive process, with many different steps, goals and focuses to commit to.
Fitness and nutrition are key focuses of the process, both supporting rehabilitation. Recognised as holistic treatments, both fitness and nutrition are beneficial when considering coping, when preventing relapse, and when boosting the quality of life.
They are instrumental when forming and committing to a healthier lifestyle. They also carry the natural abilities to boost the production and maintenance of happy chemicals, invaluable through drug and alcohol addiction recovery. Not to mention their indefinite link to improved mental health.
There are many holistic treatments that fulfil the recovery process here at Asana Lodge. See the role of fitness and nutrition in recovery, which you can benefit from by reaching out.
Your health and wellbeing should be prioritised throughout rehab and post-rehab life. Make the commitment by starting the recovery process.
The recovery process
The recovery process is an intense yet beneficial one. There are many different steps which must be completed in order to fulfil it. A large proportion of those steps can be welcomed and experienced via rehab. Yet as it’s a long-term commitment, some will also surface and carry on through post-rehab life.
Common steps, including detoxification, addiction treatment and aftercare are effective. They help to directly treat a drug and alcohol addiction. Yet to boost the recovery experience and to increase the longevity of success, holistic treatments also carry an importance.
At Asana Lodge, you’ll be exposed to numerous holistic therapies, helping to offer balance, positivity, and improved health. Both fitness and nutrition are worked into our therapies, due to their benefits. Not only can holistic therapies take action through active recovery, but their effects are also continuous, meaning that the change and the balance that’s achieved can help with sobriety.
See the role of fitness and nutrition in recovery, both in active rehab and post-rehab life.
The role of fitness and nutrition in recovery
Fitness for addiction recovery
Exercise and activities which promote fitness are part and parcel of a healthy, active lifestyle. Throughout initial recovery, balance, stability, and greater health are aimed for. Not only will each help to heal the body and mind at a quicker pace, but they will strengthen recovery results.
Exercise can support recovery, and work alongside the likes of therapy and rehabilitation, as it offers emotional stability. Talking therapies can be difficult to experience. Yet with exercise as a motivator of happy chemicals, increased levels of positivity, comfort and clarity are expected.
The relationship between exercise and mental health is so significant, that a focus on fitness is paramount through rehab. Mental illness is an obstacle throughout addiction recovery, which can be managed through exercise.
The natural production of serotonin and dopamine can help to alleviate symptoms of stress, depression, anxiety, and other co-occurring disorders. Incorporating exercise into daily routines is a common recommendation, which can be turned into a healthy habit, throughout a 30-day programme.
On a post-rehab basis, by considering long-term recovery, exercise prevents the escalation of drug use by acting as a coping strategy. A healthy, balanced routine offers focus, structure, and a positive outlook, which can be delivered through fitness and exercise. Through relapse prevention planning, exercise is found to prevent slip-ups, whilst also decreasing cravings and triggering situations.
Nutrition for addiction recovery
Drug and alcohol abuse can be extremely damaging to the body, from malnourishment and unstable hormone levels to deficiencies. An unhealthy diet can in fact trigger initial substance abuse, using drugs and alcohol as sources of energy.
Nutrition in recovery can firstly help to repair the damage of substance abuse, not only of the body but also of the brain. A healthy diet full of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, complex carbs, and protein will offer enough energy to work through treatment, fitness sessions and daily challenges. Maintaining such a balanced diet will also help to prepare the body for long-term recovery, by addressing some common addiction symptoms, including fatigue and weight loss.
A balanced diet is also found to improve mental health. Healthy fats, for example, are known to improve and balance mood. As mood swings, low moments and mental health crises are common through addiction recovery, nutrition can offer a natural way of healing.
Through long-term addiction recovery, nutrition, similarly to fitness, can help to reduce cravings, can decrease the risks of relapse, can improve overall mood and energy levels, and can work to prevent co-occurring disorders.
The role of fitness and nutrition in recovery ultimately offers the chance to experience and maintain a healthy, balanced lifestyle. Lifestyle choices throughout rehab and post-rehab life can impact progression and future actions. With healthy fitness and nutritional choices, steering from drugs and alcohol will be realistic.
The benefits of holistic treatments
Holistic treatments offer many benefits within addiction recovery, which can transform the initial experience and also the stability of recovery. Benefits of holistic therapies, such as fitness and nutrition include:
- Improved wellbeing whilst withdrawing from drugs and alcohol
- Offers greater clarity and stability whilst recovering
- Helps to support emotional recovery
- Works well alongside traditional addiction treatment services, such as therapy
- Helps to improve mental health, self-awareness, and confidence
- Heals both the body and mind in safe ways
- Works to regulate the body and mind on a post-rehab basis
- Prevents relapse risks by offering a stable structure
- Offers the tools to maintain a healthy lifestyle
- Acts as effective coping strategies
- Helps to make sobriety a sustainable choice
Treatment here at Asana Lodge
At Asana Lodge, we make use of holistic treatments, due to the above benefits. We heavily focus on healing the mind, which organically supports physical recovery.
Although we do incorporate traditional addiction treatment services into our programmes, we also make use of holistic options. They include fitness and nutrition sessions, self-help, art therapy, mindfulness, and sleep management. All contribute to a stronger and smoother recovery process.
The role of fitness and nutrition in recovery is significant, very important to focus on through drug and alcohol rehabilitation. Reach out for our guidance on how to incorporate both into post-rehab life. We can also provide additional information on our treatment programmes, and how a comprehensive recovery process will benefit from holistic treatment.
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