Gabe1980

Okay, so....I could do with a bit of advice about how to get started.

I am five weeks in to being sober and it feels like time to get physically more healthy and fit. I have been on a 3 month relapse cycle since I started trying to get sober 3 years ago, and I know one of the things that has been missing is having something else that makes me feel good, that I can focus on.

The problem is....I'm lazy and I have never really been fit before. I was just wondering if anyone has any tips or could share their story of how they got fit and how exercise has become a big part of their life. I need to do this. I am just trying to figure out how! Motivation is a big issue but if I want to achieve this I have to address that too. Thank you!

Bubovski

Its a good idea to set some realistic goals for yourself by keeping a diary.
My gym is currently closed because of the lock down but I am still jogging and power walking.
At a gym (general fitness, or body building) involves a lot of learning new things which helps with motivation.
Also you will meet new peeps and not in the pub--

Gabe1980

Thanks Bub. I have a sports centre just across the road from me, so I am desperate for that to open again. Whatever I start now has to be home or outside and I think setting goals for each day is a great idea. I am starting tonight with a long walk.

Be123

Hi Gabe. It depends on your starting point. (Forgive me if this doesn't apply to you, obviously I don't know you!). If you are completely new to fitness then walking is the king, and also great for mental health as well. The weather in the uk at the moment is great for walking at any time, first thing and last thing I enjoy for reflecting on life.

If you're a bit fitter then the same as above goes for running. Cheap, little equipment needed, not on lockdown. Amazing for mental health, Ronnie O'Sullivan claims it saved his life.

Whatever you do I think to feel good about it then make it incremental, increasing duration, intensity and frequency. (Run/walk longer, faster and more often!). Setting goals for this gives a natural sense of achievement, get your dopamine fix naturally!

I know stretching helps my joints and if you're in to that kind of thing it works well with mindfulness and meditation.

I also think a side-help for us addicts is being disciplined and doing it when you don't feel like it...but funnily enough I also think being kind to yourself and patient, letting yourself off if you don't do it all 'right' is equally important.

Most of all enjoy it! I'd say I'm addicted to walking and running (although I'm not massively fit) but it is the kind of addiction that is good for me. I think evidence for chemical release in the brain during/after exercise means it is actually physically addictive

Hodd

I’m becoming boring going on about joining a triathlon club 😀 but it’s very relevant here. I used to not only be lazy, but I was obese and a heavy drinker lazy too.

I started off by cutting down on drinking and going to the gym to do cardio and lighter weights. Those two combined saw me losing 2lbs a week for 5 months. Then I realised I was pretty fit and knew the only way I’d be motivated to keep that way was to join a sports club, in my case triathlon.

It becomes another step in not drinking. If I were to drink now, it’d spoil my enjoyment of training to say the least. So yes doing a sport will help with not drinking.

Gabe1980

Thank you! This is really helpful. I am not fit at all. I do a bit of yoga for flexibility sometimes and I find the stretching really good. In terms of cardio vascular I am just useless.

I was thinking walking at nights would be a good place to start. Maybe an hour a night. My husband is quite up for it too. The main thing is to move my body as I am so stuck in my head all the time. Ideally, doing some walking in the morning would be good too but I never feel like it in the morning. Just getting out should not be this hard but at the moment I find it so difficult to motivate myself to do anything....then it just makes me feel frustrated and pathetic. Even a small start would be good.

Be123

I agree with Hod, exercise is an intrinsic part of not drinking for me. I go early morning (when I would've been hungover) or evening (when I would've been drunk) and appreciate the difference between the healthy thing I'm doing now compared to what I was doing.

My therapist is also convinced that exercise helps the addicted brain recover more quickly and fully (along with diet and certain vitamins, and things like meditation etc). This is to do with chemical releases in the brain that are hijacked by alcohol and that we are trying to move on from as we give up the booze.

Of course if I drink then all the above is taken back to where I was, so not taking the first drink is the most vital part of my recovery plan (obviously )

Dee74

Even a walk round the block would be a start Gabe

D

Gabe1980

Thanks Hodd. I think joining something is the way to go and evening doing a couple of classes a week, when the centre opens again, would be a good start.

When you first started out, the cardio must have been hard. Did you just push yourself through it until it became fun?

Hodd

I was worried about my heart rate! Heart rate will be high (150+) when anyone does cardio such as jogging, but it may be higher at first with lower fitness levels, plus I wasn’t used to having a high heart rate.That improves very quickly.

I paid for an hour with a heart consultant last year to go through scan results, lifestyle, etc. All was fine, and he said cardio exercise is key to heart health. Walking, yoga, weights are ok but they’re not cardio.

Dee74

Just saw this

smilesdavis

Hi gabe. Look up couch to 5k, it's a good program. I was fairly fit anyway but only took up jogging since I started getting serious about not drinking, 6 weeks ago or something. I am now doing 5k a few times a week and even did 10k on Saturday for the first time ever. I always said I was the wrong shape for jogging but I seem to have proved otherwise.
Yoga is good too, apparently everyone says this, but I've tried it a few times now and it's not my cup of tea.

Gabe1980

I had a bit of a giggle at this because it will be one small celebration at first!
But it is the right way to look at things. I reckon exercise has always seemed like a punishment to me....it's back to that whole perspective thing that is proving to be really important in working my way through recovery.....

Gabe1980

I can't imagine being able to run anywhere but a few people have mentioned this and have got really fit doing it. I've got a big park next to me too, so maybe it would be worth a try. I might start with a few big walks to build myself up, then try a bit of running. No harm in trying! I do like yoga, I like the stretch but the more advanced stuff is hard. Thanks Smiles and good on you for running 10K, that's massive!

smilesdavis

Well you just do like a minute jogging slow, and then 3 mins walking etc to start with. It's a good process. Baby steps!

Hodd

Ditto to the running/jogging idea. Take it easy, though. Our cardiovascular systems improve a lot faster than our bodies, and that’s why people get aches, pains and injuries and become a bit disillusioned.

One thing I hear a lot is new runners complaining of shin pain. This isn’t a reason to stop running or give up, but it needs investigating. I had awful shin pains. It felt like my legs were about to snap off! It turns out I have fallen arches (a bit like flat feet) and had some special insoles made. Problem solved! There will be aches and pains along the way, but with care, they won’t be a problem.

Oh and proper running shoes from a proper independent running shop, These guys are great. They cost the same as a chain store but will spend 30 minutes maybe an hour getting you the right shoes. Not all shoes will be suitable

Surrendered19

Gabe I would focus on flexibility and mobility by doing your yoga as much as possible. Also, walking would be your best bet right now. Walk and build up to doing it vigorously. 15 min miles. Then when you can walk 3-6 miles every day at a pretty good clip, you can add in some light weights and some cardio on your bike. Be gentle with yourself and ease into it. It should all be enjoyable and the main benefit of exercise is mental health. A healthy weight and metabolic health is nearly all about proper nutrition - definitely not exercise. But the physical and mental health benefits are legion. One of the main tools in my tool box. Good for you Gabe!!!!

Gabe1980

Thanks for this - it's good to have an idea of what to expect and to be able to problem solve a bit. This is really new for me, so I reckon I am going to try and build up a foundation level of fitness and I just want to feel a bit stronger. Then I will give the running a go. It's a great tip about getting proper fitted shoes, as I really wouldn't know what to choose and I don't want to put myself off at the beginning. I think I am going to get a decent pair of walking shoes too. At least I have some extra cash as I'm not drinking!

Gabe1980

I was thinking of starting with a 3 mile walk every day. I know I can manage that and my husband is going to do it too. He walks faster than me, so I am always at a decent pace with him. I want to then build it up to 5 miles over the next few weeks. The yoga is great too....it's only 20 mins but the difference in terms of flexibility is massive and I think taking the time to mentally connect with my body is important.

I am just ready to start seeing what I can achieve. I have always wanted to be fit but I have had this belief that it's never going to happen. I am trying to smash those old beliefs. I am 40 in September.....if I am fit, healthy and slim at 40, I'll be delighted.

I'm lucky with diet, I like fresh healthy food, especially fruit and veg but I have got into some crappy habits recently. It's just needs a bit of revision and a bit more care. Thank you! I appreciate the encouragement.

Hodd

Running shoes aren’t fitted as such. That’d be expensive. They’ll all be off the shelf, but there are many difference in size, width, pronation (bit of jargon...).

i had a pair of running shoes called Brooks GTS 18. When they wore out (they only last 500 miles), I bought the same again, but by the time I wore those out, they were out of production. I was tempted to just order the obvious successor GTS 19, but I tried a pair on first. They were totally different and too narrow.

Running shoes really need to be tried on in a running shop and spend at least 30 minutes doing so.

See, once you don’t drink, there are real things to worry about!