Theresa

By most of my friends' standards, I am athletic: though I am older than many of you on this forum (51), I run about 30 miles a week and lift weights--as many of you appear to do. I have exercised in this way most of my life.

Throughout my life, when I was most physically active, I was less prone to drink. (Probably because when I really work out, I am too tired to drink.)

What I find stunning in our conversations on this forum is the number of us who post to this site who mention that exercise is important in our life: In my experience, most people (whether they drink or not) do NOT exercise the way we do. Are we so different at multiple levels, and if so, how/why so?

Is there a connection here that I do not understand? I guess my question to those of you reading here tonight is, Does it appear to any of you that we (those with a "drinking problem") exercise more than those who do not have such a problem?

CarolD

My guess is that it has to do with the release of endorphines (sp?)
in the brain with exercise.

I detest sweating...so I have no experience with exercise...

Theresa

Thanks, Carol: I so look to and benefit from your feedback/wisdom.

I think you are right: in some way we self medicate (get those edorpho's working) through exercise.

However, our focus on exercise is both a weakness and a strength. Heading out for a long run is no fun, but we DO it. The discipline it requires is one that it seems we can/should be able to apply to the other parts of our life: not drinking, finishing a major project, making a major change in our life.

What I find interesting with this forum is that those who participate in this forum are more likely than others that belong to other forums to which I belong to be motivated in this aspect (exercise) of their lives, yet struggle in others (drinking).

CarolD

We drinkers just might be a bit obcessive in everything.
I used to laugh that I was addicted to MORE
of whatever pleased me.

I went looking for a thread for you to read
I have not...but it may give you more information.

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...-sobriety.html

Theresa

Thanks, Carol, for sharing the link to this thread. To be honest, this thread started my thinking about this topic: it brought to my attention the exercise "thread" that I see repeated in the forum, a thread that I recognize in my own life.

Exercise is very important to our physical and emotional/spiritual health: this I know. I am troubled, and want to understand, any connection between my commitment to exercise and to my alcoholic behavior.

I guess that I get a little nervous these days when I or other folks talk about their exercise, especially those of us with unable to drink. I speak of the virtues of exercise often, but lately I feel a bit of a fraud: I don't know if my commitment to exercise has any real connection with my commitment to sobriety. Yet, how could they not? But to be honest, I don't think that I speak with the same commitment to each.

CarolD

Hmm..
My favorite hobby was flying private planes.
I dated a lot of aircraft owners!

Each year I also purchased either a painting
or a fine piece of jewelry.

The flying ceased...the art was stolen and I now wear
really good jjewelry to Wal-Mart. ...

I see absolutely no correlation between things I
enjoyed doing and the fact I became an alcoholic.

I am an alcoholic because my brain and liver enzymes
no longer processed alcohol correctly. This happened to
me after many years of drinking socially.

I base my feeling on the information I read in the book
"Under The Influence" in '89. I've not had another drink.

I use AA to give my new life joy and purpose.

I so hope you too can find serenity
Recovery Really Rocks!

December15

I have always exercised as well and have noticed during times of abstinence that I need to exercise in the same way I needed to drink. For this quit (43 days) I have exercised only sparingly and only when I really felt like it. I think I've got a good balance now.

beingjenagain

I am obsessive about just about everything I do. It has been sex, dieting/food, good grades, smoking, alcohol, exercise. I think it is just something in our genetic make-up. I need to learn to get a bit more compulsive about cleaning my house!! When I look back at my years since high school I wonder if a 12 step in another area would have brought me the relief and serenity that I feel today or is this the course I needed to travel?

Bard

My lifting is one healthy obsession that stayed with me through my drinking. Everything else took a backseat though! But even between drunks I had to go do my training and I kept telling myself that one day I'm gonna stop for good and devote more time and energy back into it. To get really good and really strong it's a around the clock job to be a good powerlifter. Your diet needs to be sound and not having the nutriets your body needs being washed out by alcohol. You need proper sleep and not the sleep that being knocked out produces. And your mind and body needs little to no stress, and I can't think of anything more stressful then going through even in your sober times having withdrawls. And of course being consitent with it and not blowing off days or weeks at a time becsuse of drinking or being to hungoer to do it. It's a real important part to me in my recovery. I'm not working quite up to where I want but just getting a good decent workout in and relaxing afterwhile with a shower does much to improve my mode!

flutter

hmm I see a few sides to this. I work out a lot, way more now than I did when I was drinking. When I was still drinking, a lot of times I would go to the gym out of guilt for otherwise living so unhealthy, and then of course it gave me permission to drink that night (ha! what the ....). I was living under this facade that if I was otherwise healthy (eating right, working out, etc), then I wasn't "that bad" when it came to drinking. Whatever.. that's such bs.

Anyways, when I first quit drinking, I would go to the gym during the time of day that I usually drank. Mostly to distract myself from that time, to fill the time, and also I was scared that I "couldn't sleep" without drinking (another load of bs). It got addictive to me and I didn't feel right if I didn't work out every single night, I would have anxiety about it if I skipped a day, etc. Then I got healthier, my body and mind chilled out and started working the way it should, and now I'm back to 3-4 times a week, and NOW IT REALLY MEANS SOMETHING! I love it.. and we owe it to our bodies, I truly believe it is therapeutic not only physically but mentally as well.

k that was long lol.. sorry

ReneeS

I exercised at the gym 3-4 times a week throughout all the time I was drinking. Sometimes I felt a little shaky afterwards, but kept this discipline, along with taking vitamins and a healthy diet-- all of which helped me to be a "functional" alcoholic (and helped to keep me from getting fat from all those wine calories!). I suppose that if I hadn't exercised or taken vitamins, I would have been less functional. Now that I'm not drinking, I'm exercising 4-5 times a week and it has really helped in terms of sleep and stress-reduction.

tpersis

its interesting you mention this.
the first thing i thought of since quitting drinking
is yoga and pilates. channeling that energy into exercise.
i think yes its the endorphins, and in a more simple sense, without the high from drinking,
the search for a natural healthy high, a way to release the endorphins in a positive way.

otter

When I get cravings to drink the only two things I found so far that help are coffee and running till I'm a sweaty mess.

ralph9898

Same with me. As long as worked out, I felt that I earned the right to drink that night. I also would work out the day after to try and get rid of a hangover (I actually did feel better after working out). I never realized that alcohol was unhealthy until I started reading more about it. I had convinced myself that alcohol was good for my heart, and didn't consider that it might be bad for my nervous system, brain, and other vital organs.

gmaklay

A natural high is what I liked to call it. I've always been the jock type in school. Wrestler, Track & Field. I got into weightlifting while playing college ball. My strenght coach felt I would have a shot at being some serious competition in powerlifting due to natural strength from my genetics. I from powerlifting I got into body building since I was fairly lean. So I've lifted very seriously until I was 25 years old. I never drank at all during that time. I then got married and had a kid and started drinking. I still worked out but not as serious, and before I knew it I was on cycles. I would sober up work out for months and fall off the wagon and drink for a month. This went back and forth for ever. But I began to notice when I was training I had that natural high, and when drinking I had the same type of high. I feel like when I stop lifting, my body is yearning for the high and I turned to alcohol to fill that void. It was a big cycle.....

Now I'm back in the gym again, sore as hell but glad I'm in the right direction.

Theresa

Thanks to all of you for your replies and for sharing. I do enjoy my time in the gym and running: it feels good to be strong and doing something so right for myself.

soidog

Really interesting thought! I also used to exercise regularly while drinking. I exercised before I drank and I still exercise regularly now.

One other "theory" worth considering is that this is an image-driven society in many ways. I know a lot of people who stress out about needing or wanting to "look good" who are religious about exercise and going to the gym, but are also driven to drink as well. Its not unusual at all to meet "functional" alcoholics who have high stress, image-driven jobs, who go to the gym regularly after work and then go home and get blasted every night. Attorneys are notorious for lifestyles like this. I know for me, I have a pretty high stress job and I'll admit that one of the reasons I work out regularly is to try and "look good" as well. Its only that now I have quit the bottle thank God.

Anyway, interesting question again!

matt88

There's probably not an immediately obvious correlation between drinking and exercise. But a psychologist or someone like that might be able to find one. My only guess is that some of us alcoholics are very sensitive about our bodies in general. Yes, the endorphins too. Exercise can be calming and will often make you feel at ease, and give a feeling of euphoria. Alcohol sedates, and likewise will chemically create feelings of being at ease and euphoria.

I think there might be more to it as well, like someone who really pushes themselves to the limits when they work out, might likewise really push their limits when they drink, and end up pushing too far.

Of course, it's much better to have a healthy and beneficial addiction like working out than a devastatingly harmful one like drinking. .

Bamboozle

I wish I was obsessed with exercising...



....I need to be...



...if you could see me you'd agree.