Exercise may be the Key
 

When not drinking I sometimes exercise afterwards I am more relaxed and at peace with things. This time round I going to do it everyday 5km on treadmill late afternoon.

Anybody use exercise to release endorphins to improve mood.

It also reduces cortisol levels (stress hormone.)

If I skip exercise I really feel it with increased anxiety. So, yeah. It's how I was designed to function. :)

Heck ya. It is a regular part of my life now.

It's absolutely essential to my sobriety.

Absolutely! It took me a while to get there, but once I introduced long evening power-walks, my stress level went way down. :)

Yep. It's an important part in addition to working my recovery plan.

HUGE YES!!! being active is 100% vital to my sobriety, happiness, mental functioning...everything! Every time I go for a run or bike or hit the gym I feel better about myself, slowed down, more relaxed....things seem to flow better. I've worked my way up from 5ks to my first marathon this past May and preparing and finishing those races help me realize goals in other aspects of life. Plus its just huge fun!!!! Keep at it!!!

Yes! :)

I think exercise is a crucial component of healthy living and a balanced lifestyle. Its benefits are numerous.

I don't think it's a recovery method.

Definitely :) I started purely for health reasons and to fill some of the endless abyss of time I suddenly had available in the evenings, now I really love it and the way it makes me feel.

It can certainly be a valuable tool in the recovery tool kit. I need a recovery program to keep me gratefully sober and at peace.

I look at exercising as a form of meditation. It helps a lot with both anxiety and depression, which we all know many alcoholics deal with. John

I've been a consistent exerciser for many decades and I truly believe that a lot of the benefit derived is stress reduction and other positive mental aspects.

If you're looking for inspiration and information look up an SR thread titled Road To Fall 2018. Lots of fine folks there of all different levels of fitness and involved in many different types of exercise.

Yes, I've replaced drinking with exercise. It's a new hobby for me. I now find if I don't exercise that day my anxiety is a bit higher. After exercise I feel serene and at peace.

I am off to the gym tomorrow morning to lift heavy things and I can't wait.

Exercise (specifically running) has for me been the gift that keeps giving. It:
- sustained me through the first days/weeks/months/years of sobriety.
- is now woven into my life as my key stress managment tool.
- made me a good role model to my kids,
- means that in my mid 50s I am super fit. That wasn’t/isn’t the reason for doing it but it’s whole let better than being on the brink of physical and mental breakdown which is where I started....

Do give it a go - I hope it works for you as it has for me.....

I exercised very sporadically in my life. I was more of the guy that, if I felt the need to exercise, I'd lie down until it passed.

There were a few periods in my life where I got really into physical activity. Never a jock, but I did a lot of hiking and backpacking in my 20s, went through a bodybuilding phase in my mid-30s, scuba right around 40. Come to think of it, I had a long abstinent period when I was getting up uncharacteristically early and walking 4 miles a day on the beach before work (9 miles Sat/Sun).

I was in HORRIBLE shape when I quit. I had a terrible limp and was walking like Igor, probably some neurological issues which thankfully have nearly resolved themselves. But exercise has been a huge part of my recovery, and now that I'm looking at surgery and can't really work out much until after, I'm really at a loss.

HUGE for me. I've lost 50 pounds and put on a lot of muscle.

I think exercise is important but to make it the sole part of your recovery plan is risky.

Open question:

what if you can't train/exercise for some reason?
what would be your programme then?

D

Exercise was a huge part of my early recovery, and continues to be a significant part of my life. I run or go to the gym, roughly 5-6 days a week. Lots of folks have covered the benefits here, clearer mind, better concentration, the satisfaction of looking better etc. Endorphins are definitely a wonderful natural way to improve mood.

But to Dee's point, it can't be everything. I was injured recently and couldn't exercise for about 2 months. Fortunately I have other parts of my life that satisfy me and give me a sense of purpose, now I'm 2 years' sober. But I think it would have been a significant challenge earlier on in my recovery if I couldn't exercise. I have to admit my plan was lopsided and skewed towards exercise.

My advice is to build all parts of your life as you go forward. By all means use exercise as a platform but keep putting the other blocks in place (e.g. moving your career forward, fixing your relationships, reading self-help books, rediscovering a spiritual path etc.). They will help should you not be able to exercise for a spell.

This is an excellent point. I am a dedicated AAer and after being on the brink of death when I quit drinking I got into great shape. A year of a 5K a month, adding hot yoga 6x week last year....then I had a serious back injury in Mar. it is not an exaggeration to say is knocked me flat emotionally as well as physically. I needed my program during this hard time so I could get through this ordeal, which I am just coming out of, in acceptance and with determination.

Totally agree with MissPerfumado and Dee: Exercise has been an important factor in my recovery, but I would advise against it being the only or even the most important thing. In my mind, the key is learning to cope with the challenges in life through means other than drinking.
Yes, exercising to relieve stress can certainly be ONE of these things, but say you just broke your leg - then you’ll need to still be able to cope in some other way. While recovering, I’ve retooled my career, worked on my relationships, pretty much overhauled my whole life. There is no one magic bullet - too much exposure from a risk management perspective.